The Taoiseach's comments about health service workers and taking annual leave at Christmas have come under fire by numerous political parties, with Fianna Fáil calling the remarks "flippant and insensitive". It's argued that the staff shortages are due to recruitment and retention issues, with news surfacing of 'dangerous doctors' with “little knowledge of the basics of medicine” being hired by the HSE. As covered in yesterday's digest, the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation are to ballot for strike action over pay and staff shortages.
In other health related news, there were no interruption to ambulance services yesterday despite around 500 personnel commencing an overtime ban, according to the HSE. The staff, represented by the Psychiatric Nurses Association, are in dispute with the HSE over representation rights and its refusal to deduct union subscriptions through the payroll system.
Facebook have just announced it agreed terms to lease the high profile 14-acre Bankcentre campus in Ballsbridge, which will allow it to add 5,000 staff to its Irish operation in the coming years. Meanwhile, The Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission received confirmation yesterday that the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform has sanctioned a total of 42 posts for GSOC's Protected Disclosures Unit.
Ingrid Miley reports that Ryanair and its CEO Michael O'Leary are being sued in New York by a shareholder accusing the airline of defrauding its investors, and inflating its share price by overstating its ability to manage its labour relations and keep costs down.
And finally, this morning we learned of the sad passing of world-famous Munster musician and composer, Professor Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin. Today's Zen is his 2011 IFTA performance with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra.
