Tim O'Malley (Limerick East, Progressive Democrats)

Under the Health Act 2004, which provided for the establishment of the Health Service Executive on 1 January 2005, the HSE is responsible for managing and delivering, or arranging to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Therefore, the HSE is responsible for nurse staffing at Kerry General Hospital. I am aware of the concerns raised by the Irish Nurses Organisation about nursing staff levels at the hospital. I have been informed that the southern area of the HSE has offered to meet INO representatives in the near future to discuss the hospital's staffing issues.

I understand that Kerry General Hospital is staffed in line with its authorised ceiling of 408 whole-time equivalent nurses. I have been informed that there is one unfilled permanent post. There are some temporary vacancies, however, as a consequence of sick leave, maternity leave and other forms of absence. Recruitment efforts are ongoing for temporary nurses. In the meantime, such short-term vacancies are covered from within the existing staffing complement. I understand that services in Kerry General Hospital continue to be delivered at normal levels.

The recruitment and retention of adequate numbers of nursing staff has been a concern of the Government for some time. Some substantial measures, including major investment in the training of additional nurses, have been introduced in recent years. The Tánaiste opened the new school of nursing at Tralee Institute of Technology, for which capital funding of €11 million has been provided, earlier this month. The school can accommodate 320 undergraduate nursing students. Annual revenue funding of approximately €4.5 million has been provided for such a number of students. The first degree students, who will graduate in the autumn of 2006, should help to ensure that there are adequate numbers of nursing staff at Kerry General Hospital.

Some of the measures taken by the Government in recent years have produced positive results at national level. There has been a net increase of more than 7,000 whole-time equivalent nurses since 1999. That represents an increase of 26% in the nursing and midwifery workforce in the public health service. The level of turnover of nursing staff has also declined. The most recent national turnover study, which covered the years between 1999 and 2003, showed that the level of turnover decreased by 40% over the five-year period.

I am confident that the extensive range of measures taken by the Government and the management of the health service, as well as the close monitoring and assessment of the situation on an ongoing basis, will continue to address effectively the nursing workforce needs of Kerry General Hospital and the wider health service.

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