"It is incredible to think that in a 24-hour period on average two babies were born every hour in the Rotunda Hospital. Personnel at the Rotunda have confirmed that the work load in the hospital was 28 per cent greater in 2013 than in 2006 and that staffing and resources have continued to be curtailed since 2009 by the recruitment moratorium and funding allocation. The Government needs to immediately review the situation.

"The embargo on recruitment in certain areas needs to be urgently re-examined, especially in relation to the employment of frontline nursing staff. The employment of agency staff will cost the HSE in excess of €250 million in 2014 and it is causing huge concerns within individual hospitals. In particular we have medical and nursing staff working side by side in the same area of employment and someone can be getting three or four times higher rate of pay than the person working with them. This is causing unnecessary tension and frustration for staff who have worked a long number of years and who are dedicated and committed to their job.

"Secondly, the employment of agency staff is creating a greater workload as permanent staff have to go through what the practice and procedures are within the hospital structure with each new agency staff member.

"Thirdly, many of the people working on the frontline in hospitals are complaining about the lack of continuity and as a result the priority of patient care is being diluted.

"Fourthly, the imposition of fines on hospitals for not complying with the working time directive has now changed the focus away from the priority of patient care to the priority of complying with the Directive. While every effort must be made to comply with the European Working Time Directive, patient care must be the number one priority in every health care facility.

"I believe that in planning for the Health Budget of 2015 every effort must be made to provide adequate funding to eliminate the uncertainty and to enable individual hospitals recruit medical and nursing staff who are required at the frontline. The fact that over €250 million will be spent on agency staff for 2014 further emphasises the need for this review of the embargo as part of the discussions on Budget 2015".