Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I feel strange calling Phil Ms Ní Sheaghdha. With regard to recruiting nurses from overseas, at what stage are they counted as part of the whole-time equivalent, WTE, figures? Ms Ní Sheaghdha mentioned the language barrier. Nobody is suggesting for a moment that these men and women are not very welcome and very necessary. We know that. From my own experience and from talking to nurses and midwives, however, I know people are sometimes counted who are still in a period of training or adaptation. At what stage are they considered part of the WTE complement? Are the figures a wee bit skewed by the inclusion of people who are on maternity leave and people who may not be fully up to speed?