Richard O'Donoghue Thanks Nurses and Calls for Equal Funding
Richard O'Donoghue thanks nurses across Ireland and highlights a family of five sisters from Aglaca, County Limerick who all became nurses. He uses his personal connection to nursing to push for funding parity so more people are encouraged to enter the profession.
Richard O'Donoghue opens by thanking nurses nationwide. He emphasises the sacrifices made by nurses and their families and recognises his own sister's career in nursing.
Drawing on his upbringing, O'Donoghue recounts growing up alongside a family where five of six siblings trained as nurses. The anecdote underlines how nursing runs through communities and how family support plays a role in people choosing the profession.
He describes how nursing practice has changed from the era of hospital matrons to today’s teams, and stresses that nurses remain the vital link between doctors, consultants and frontline care staff. He praises their hands-on work with patients and their role in identifying root problems.
O'Donoghue points to existing apprenticeships that receive public funding and argues that those who train to become nurses should receive the same level of support. He calls for resources to be put in place to encourage new entrants to the nursing profession and to sustain care for vulnerable people.
Acknowledgement of service
Richard O'Donoghue opens by thanking nurses nationwide. He emphasises the sacrifices made by nurses and their families and recognises his own sister's career in nursing.
Personal background and local story
Drawing on his upbringing, O'Donoghue recounts growing up alongside a family where five of six siblings trained as nurses. The anecdote underlines how nursing runs through communities and how family support plays a role in people choosing the profession.
Role of nurses in care
He describes how nursing practice has changed from the era of hospital matrons to today’s teams, and stresses that nurses remain the vital link between doctors, consultants and frontline care staff. He praises their hands-on work with patients and their role in identifying root problems.
Funding and training appeal
O'Donoghue points to existing apprenticeships that receive public funding and argues that those who train to become nurses should receive the same level of support. He calls for resources to be put in place to encourage new entrants to the nursing profession and to sustain care for vulnerable people.
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Transcript
Thank you, Comhairle. Before we start, I'd like to thank all the nurses in this country but especially five of them. There's in a place called Aglaca in County Limerick, there's a family of six, five girls and one boy and five of the girls were nurses and that's Mary, Eileen, Noel, Angela and Trina, Doug Heaths and I grew up with them but to have a full family have dedicated their life to nursing and care and nursing, it was unbelievable to see it and I grew up with them so I thank all the families, male and female nurses across the country for what they've done for the care and for the families that encouraged them and gave them the help to become nurses so they can actually provide for others and so I grew up with it. My own sister's a nurse and she's now retired. Different times of nursing when they grew up. At that time you were in the hospitals where you had the matrons in the hospital and each ward were ran by the matrons and to me I think myself is from those times to the training that we have today, the care that nurses gave and still give is absolutely above and beyond. They are the link between all staffs, between the doctors, the consultants, the nurses, down to care, everyone, they are the link in between because they meet the patients on their knees, they get to the root of the problem so for everything they've done for this country, for everything they've done for the vulnerable people in this country, I thank them and for the resources that need to be put in place to encourage, encourage nurses to go into it. A small change was made years ago where they gave a small fund. You can become an apprentice today and you're funded. If you want to become a nurse you should fund them the same.