Anger over HSE's treatment of Mayo student nurses
Despite a promise by Minister Simon Harris that all graduating nurses would be offered a 12-month contract in an attempt to address the shortage of nurses in hospitals, that is not happening for nurses graduating from Mayo and Galway hospitals and colleges in a few weeks time.
Minister Harris made the promise after nurses nationally had taken strike action last year.
Among the issues they highlighted was the problem of retention of nurses in hospitals and the volume of young graduating nurses who were emigrating.
However, the cathaoirleach of Castlebar Municipal District, Independent Councillor Michael Kilcoyne, said he has become aware that while the minister’s promise is being honoured in Dublin and Cork hospitals, it is not being upheld in hospitals in the west of Ireland.
Students who will graduate in a few weeks time from colleges in Castlebar and Galway are not being offered contacts despite having been interviewed and put on panels.
Councillor Kilcoyne said the situation is completely unacceptable and he has accused Minister Harris of failing to deliver on commitments once again.
He hit out: “It would appear that Fine Gael has no problem in making promises publicly and then act as if they never made them.
“Over the last number of years the HSE and the government have spent hundreds of thousands of euro travelling all over the world to recruit nurses and have recruited just over 100.
“In the meantime the HSE continues to use agency nurses which are costing far more than hiring those newly graduated nurses.
“I am calling on the government TD’s in this constituency, Minister Ring and the former Taoiseach Enda Kenny, to intervene in this matter and I am also asking the two Fianna Fáil TDs in this constituency, Dara Calleary and Lisa Chambers, how can they have confidence in a minister that makes a public promise and then reneges on it?
“Furthermore, I am demanding that the HSE offer our student nurses the 12-month contract as promised by the Minister for Health.”