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News18
2 days ago
- Health
- News18
Public health service, nurses' union condemn attacks on Indians in Ireland
London, Aug 14 (PTI) Ireland's Health Service Executive and the largest nurses' union have spoken out against the 'racist abuse and assaults" targeting members of the Indian community and cautioned that their exodus would have a 'dramatic impact" on the healthcare sector. In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Health Service Executive (HSE) said that the effective operation of many essential health services in Ireland would be seriously threatened without the support of the many thousands of international staff that work in the country's hospitals and community services. According to the Irish public health service provider, healthcare professionals from India, Africa and other Asian countries account for 23 per cent of HSE nurses and midwives. 'The HSE unequivocally condemns all incidents of racist abuse and assaults of people from abroad, their families and the wider community. It is unacceptable. People should not be afraid to leave their house or go to work for fear of abuse," said Anne Marie Hoey, Chief People Officer of the HSE. 'We are proud of our organisation's diversity and are dependent on all our staff for the delivery of frontline, essential services… We are deeply grateful to international workers who have chosen to move their lives and families to Ireland to work with the HSE and help provide essential care and support for patients," she said. Hoey said the HSE was 'saddened" to hear reports that some international staff, now fearful for their personal safety, are considering moving away. 'This will have a dramatic impact on staff levels and the provision of health services and should be a cause for alarm for people in this country," she said. The intervention came after a spate of violent assaults on Indians in the capital Dublin and other regions have been reported to the Irish police force, An Garda Síochána. Last week, the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) condemned the 'racially motivated abuse" of its workers and called for robust action against the perpetrators. 'Recent horrific attacks on members of the Indian community in Ireland should be condemned. There must be a robust policing response to racially motivated abuse and attacks. We do not want Ireland to be a place where nurses and midwives are afraid to work," said INMO Deputy General Secretary Edward Mathews. 'Providing more robust protections would go a long way to making internationally educated nurses and midwives feel safe. Everyone should have the right to work in an environment free from abuse or harassment of any kind, and to feel safe in their community," he said. He also referenced the safety advisory issued earlier this month by the Indian Embassy in Dublin, calling on its nationals to take 'reasonable precautions for their personal security and avoid deserted areas, especially at odd hours". Mathews added: 'In broader terms, as a society, it has never been more important to reject racism. Hateful rhetoric and violent attacks must not become the norm." 'It is unacceptable that consular services in Ireland feel the need to issue advisories about travel and personal security at unsocial hours. This should raise alarm bells, this is not the type of country we want to be." Earlier this week, Irish President Michael D Higgins condemned the 'despicable attacks", which he said obscured the 'immeasurable benefits" the people of India have brought to the life of the country. In one of the recent incidents, an Indian man attacked by a group of teenagers on Sunday told local Irish media that he and many of his friends were returning to India as they are now 'scared to go outside". On Monday, the Ireland India Council announced the postponement of its annual 'India Day" celebrations, planned in Dublin for Sunday, amid security concerns for the community. An Garda Síochána has said its investigations are ongoing, after it logged a series of reports of assaults involving people of Indian heritage. PTI AK GSP GSP (This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI) view comments First Published: August 14, 2025, 20:30 IST News agency-feeds Public health service, nurses' union condemn attacks on Indians in Ireland Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Irish Examiner
3 days ago
- Health
- Irish Examiner
International healthcare staff fear for safety after spate of racist assaults, HSE says
Some international healthcare staff are now fearful for their personal safety following a spate of attacks on Indians and are considering moving away, the HSE warned. "This will have a dramatic impact on staff levels and the provision of health services and should be a cause for alarm for people in this country,' Anne Marie Hoey, chief people officer of the HSE, said. "The HSE condemns all racist abuse and assaults of people from abroad, their families and the wider community," Ms Hoey said. "It is unacceptable. People should not be afraid to leave their house or go to work for fear of abuse. 'We are proud of our organisation's diversity and are dependent on all our staff for the delivery of frontline, essential services. We are deeply grateful to international workers who have chosen to move their lives and families to Ireland to work with the HSE and help provide essential care and support for patients.' International workers make up more than 15% of the entire HSE workforce. Nurses and midwives from India, Africa and other Asian countries account for 23% of HSE nurses and midwives. 'The effective operation of many essential health services in Ireland would be seriously threatened without the support of the many thousands of international staff that work in our hospitals and community services every day,' the HSE said in a statement. The HSE is proud of the organisation's diverse workforce, all of whom are critical for provision of services for patients across Ireland. India Day, an event which celebrates Ireland's Indian community, has been cancelled this Sunday due to recent attacks on Indians. An Indian tech worker was stabbed, beaten, robbed and partially stripped by a gang in Tallaght, Dublin last month. Bloodied and alone, he was then filmed and the video was uploaded to social media. The attack followed lies being spread about him on social media. He had only been in Ireland for three weeks and came on a critical skills visa. The Indian embassy in Dublin recently warned of an increase in physical attacks reported against Indian citizens in Ireland. It advised Ireland's almost 80,000-strong Indian community to 'take reasonable precautions for their personal security and avoid deserted areas, especially in odd hours'.
Irish Independent
3 days ago
- Health
- Irish Independent
HSE condemns racist attacks and says health services could not operate without international staff
It follows a spate of attacks on people from the immigrant community here in recent weeks. In a statement the HSE said the effective operation of many essential health services in Ireland would be seriously threatened without the support of the many thousands of international staff that work in our hospitals and community services every day. Healthcare professionals from India, Africa and other Asian countries account for 23pc of HSE nurses and midwives 'The HSE is proud of the organisation's diverse workforce, all of whom are critical for provision of services for patients across Ireland.' Anne Marie Hoey, Chief People Officer of the HSE, said, 'The HSE unequivocally condemns all incidents of racist abuse and assaults of people from abroad, their families and the wider community. It is unacceptable. People should not be afraid to leave their house or go to work for fear of abuse. 'We are proud of our organisation's diversity and are dependent on all our staff for the delivery of frontline, essential services. Ensuring the safety of all employees and service users is a priority for the HSE. We are committed to creating a safe environment within which to work or to be treated. 'We are deeply grateful to international workers who have chosen to move their lives and families to Ireland to work with the HSE and help provide essential care and support for patients. We are saddened to hear reports that some international staff, now fearful for their personal safety, are considering moving away. This will have a dramatic impact on staff levels and the provision of health services and should be a cause for alarm for people in this country.' The HSE added that it actively supports the workforce through a range of policies, continuing to prioritise the management of work-related aggression and violence to support the organisation's strategy and policy. Key focus areas are the national policy on the management of work-related aggression and violence (policy review), risk assessment and training. 'The Dignity at Work Policy aims to provide a safe working environment for all employees in the public health service which recognises the right to be treated with dignity and respect, and which is free from all forms of bullying, harassment and sexual harassment.'
Irish Examiner
24-06-2025
- Health
- Irish Examiner
How will seven-day a week healthcare work in reality?
What changes will patients and health staff see now that the HSE and unions have agreed on working over seven days instead of mainly Monday-Friday? The big change will be more staff at weekends to help address spikes in overcrowding and target waiting lists. However, do not get excited just yet, as staff were told of a lead-in time of at least 63 days in a circular issued on Monday. Thousands who now work Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, will move to working five days across a seven-day roster. Hours will extend from 8am to 8pm. It could also see more patients discharged home at weekends. However as many elderly people know it is very hard to get homecare at weekends already, so how will sudden hospital discharges be supported? We asked about this, and services such as Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (Camhs) and the Integrated Care Programme for Older Persons, however the HSE said only they are working on: 'plans to introduce extended working arrangements in the areas with most need and these requirements will vary from site to site'. CEO Bernard Gloster was in Cork on Tuesday to discuss having some weekend clinics up and running by August. Expanding clinic hours and reducing patient delays are his priorities, the HSE said. It is voluntary. However, managers were advised to assign people to new rosters if necessary by HSE chief people officer Anne Marie Hoey in the circular seen by the Irish Examiner. This all follows Forsa, just last month, finding that 68% of members describe staff morale as either 'low' or 'terrible'. The long hangover from the pandemic years, coupled with recruitment challenges and a growing number of patients, have left many exhausted. Despite this, the pressures to make savings and slash waiting times are only growing, including from the productivity and savings taskforce, amidst a record budget of €26.9m which is seen as not reducing delays quickly enough. Forsa expects local managers' proposals for each site will make the practicalities clearer. 'It remains our position that while these proposals can work in some areas, the resource challenges in other areas may inhibit efforts to extend services,' a spokesman said on Tuesday. A similar fear was expressed by the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO). 'The IMO is not ideologically opposed to extended services, but their introduction cannot be based on robbing Peter to pay Paul where there may be a reduction in services on other days,' said consultants committee chair Dr Matthew Sadlier. All unions, including Siptu, have called for urgent investment in staffing. Health minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said the plans are 'a major, major reform' which she expects to reduce waiting lists. She expects to see evening outpatient clinics and more scans at weekends. 'We want to get to the point where we are using our theatres on Saturdays, spreading into Sundays,' she told RTÉ. The minister said the move will include community services without specifying which ones. She also brought the Patient Safety (Licensing) Bill before Cabinet on Tuesday. This could address problems such as use of unapproved springs in children's spinal surgery at Temple Street hospital, she expects. The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation called for this legislation to include a legal requirement for safe nursing and midwifery staffing levels. Read More HSE reaches deal with unions to extend hospital hours and tackle overcrowding
