I wish to raise the issue of the lack of public health nurses in the constituency of Dublin Mid-West. Information that Deputy Ó Broin and I received indicates that there is a shortage of public health nurses in Rosse Court resource centre in Lucan, Lucan health centre, Rathcoole health centre, Steeple House health centre in Clondalkin and Rowlagh health centre. A campaign is under way to fill the vacancies, but eight posts remain unfilled. One parent who contacted me said the small children affected were the most vulnerable in our community and cannot be the victims of a failed recruitment campaign. Children's brains develop more in the first five years of their lives than at any other time. If children do not get the necessary development checks, something that might be missed could have a lifelong impact on them. Can a root-and-branch investigation be arranged to find out why this is happening in this area? Can measures be put in place to ensure the families in Dublin Mid-West get the services they deserve?

I thank Deputy Ward for raising this issue. I fully appreciate the importance of both developmental checks and the vital role public health nurses play in our communities. The issue here is not one of funding but of the recruitment of public health nurses. Efforts are under way to make progress in this regard. We have successfully recruited about 20,000 extra people across the health service since the onset of Covid-19, which is a significant expansion. It is challenging to recruit more people into some areas. I will ask the Minister to respond to the Deputy on this specific issue.