Proposals by the Minister for Health to make funding available for hospitals to build or buy homes for nurses and other key staff have been described as too little too late.
Minister Stephen Donnelley said it would be for the HSE along with hospitals to take the lead on the initiative but said he was open to the idea of money being made available form the capital health budget.
Labour Party leader Ivana Bacik said the crisis is not unique to the nursing sector:
"But it is too little too late. I think it's simply not good enough to suggest that this is something that is standalone because in fact, the housing crisis, this housing disaster is affecting all sectors. It's affecting the recruitment and retention of teachers, of Gardaí, so it's across the public service. And of course, it's also affecting private businesses: hospitality, retail, construction itself".
