I thank the Taoiseach and call Deputy Verona Murphy.

A recent Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, INMO, survey found that more than 30% of nurses said it is likely or very likely they will leave their jobs in the next year. I am reliably informed that 11 of the current 12 interns at Wexford General Hospital have plans this year to emigrate to greener pastures. Our valuable nurses and junior doctors are leaving this country in their droves to work in health systems that offer better pay, fewer hours and simply show appreciation for their invaluable skills and vocation.

Will the Taoiseach tell the House what meaningful and radical plan his Government has to address immediately the now-critical recruitment and retention crisis across the health sector and implement the real change that is required to halt the tsunami that will wipe out our health service and its workforce?

Actually, over the past two years we have had record numbers of recruitment into our health service. We have invested very significantly in nurse education in this country and transformed it over the past 20 years. I was involved in it myself at the time, in the degree programme, the advanced nursing programmes and the postgraduate programmes. We need to continue to invest in nurse education and in all aspects of professional education within our health services. We are increasing annually the number of people working in our health service. That said, we are always seeking to improve human resource management within the Health Service Executive and within our health service more generally so that we create an atmosphere and environment that makes it more conducive to retaining staff and to keeping people in our health service. There is still work to be done on that front.