Labour Party Health spokesperson has said that the Taoiseach is out of touch when it comes to the work nurses do during crisis periods in our health services.
Deputy Kelly said:
“The comments by the Taoiseach yesterday on nurses and consultants taking annual leave were completely out of touch. The Taoiseach and the Minister for Health are showing a lack of leadership by refusing to present a winter initiative plan to workers in our health service.
“The comments by the Taoiseach come in the backdrop as nurses in the INMO prepare to ballot to take industrial action over their pay. Taoiseach Varadkar’s inexperience is coming to the fore yet again making naive comments like this.
“It is a bit rich for Taoiseach Varadkar to criticise people taking annual leave at Christmas time, when the Dáil itself will take 4 weeks off over the Christmas period.
“The Taoiseach needs to reflect on his comments and figure out how his Government is going to sort out the issues of nurses’ pay and conditions.”
