Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy might dispute it, but there is a budget line for it. There is funding available for postgraduate training. Whether it is enough is a matter for debate, but funding is available for HSE-employed nurses but not for practice nurses.

At my recent briefing on the general practitioner, GP, contract, I made it clear to the HSE and to the Department that while we are debating and negotiating a GP contract for primary care services, it is essential that other health care professionals, particularly nurses in the community, have an input into that process.

The Deputy asked about community intervention teams in the context of the winter initiative. Such teams can have a huge benefit in terms of hospital avoidance and hospital admissions, particularly for our older patients. If the latter are seen at home by community nurses, etc., they can be kept hydrated and well and prevented from getting sick and needing to be admitted to hospital. We provided for an increase, to 27,633 hours, in community intervention teams' total activity in 2016 and this is going to rise further to 32,861 hours. I accept that the Deputy asked me for the geographic breakdown in that regard. The increase to which I refer is a sign that we believe this model can work and we need to ensure that there will be further increases.