I will raise how badly newly qualified student nurses have been treated by the HSE in Cork. In June, these students interviewed for posts and were offered jobs in named clinical areas in CUH. In September, the HSE tried to row back on this decision in really shoddy terms. It organised two meetings with the students that were cancelled and then, at short notice of just five hours, it called the students before it and said that instead of getting jobs in named clinical areas, they would be placed on the bank. We accept and welcome the bank. It will reduce the cost spent on agency staff, but it is not appropriate for newly qualified student nurses who want to be part of a team, want to expand their skills and want to expand their practice.

Ultimately, these students were offered posts and accepted them. They had offers and accepted them. Does the Minister accept that the HSE is in breach of contract to these newly qualified student nurses by trying to row back on this? Why have student nurses in other parts of the country, including Galway, not been offered permanent posts? These are badly needed across the country, We need to hire these students and offer them permanent contracts and jobs in the health service. It is so badly needed. Staff morale is on the floor and is getting worse with the way the HSE is treating its staff.

Without knowing the details of the contract or what happened, I take what the Deputy is saying. I am not contradicting that, but without knowing the details of what has happened, the timelines and why it has happened, I do not want to comment on something I do not have information on. The Deputy is right. In any business, if somebody is offered a contract and they have signed it, an agreement is in place. It is important that this is followed through on. We also want to make sure for anybody entering into a workforce for the first time that their first experience is a positive one. It is the role of the HSE to work with and to support our newest staff, whether they are nurses, doctors or people working in specific fields. Again, while I do not know the details of what happened in this specific hospital with these specific nurses, I am happy to take it back to the Minister and highlight the fact the Deputy has raised it. If she is not aware of it, I will ask her to engage with the Deputy directly on it.