Dr. Maura Pidgeon:

In response to Deputy McLellan, we received the €1.6 million from the Department at the end of 2012 and the beginning of 2013 towards the implementation of the legislation, but one element was the absorption of the former National Council for Nurses and Midwives. Under the new legislation, we brought the staff, or some of them, from that organisation into the board.

The mandatory competence assurance scheme is part of the Nurses and Midwives Act 2011. It has not yet been commenced. The development work is quite substantial and costly. We have had to defer a large part of the development. We can develop the model, but the roll-out and management - the business model - have had to be deferred, given the funding arrangements.

With regard to the question about having more graduates, as I said in response to a previous question, that is a matter for the Department of Health in respect of number of students.