Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

5 o’clock

I thought - as I am sure the Minister did - that we had turned the corner and that the closure of wards was in the past. The trend of nurses leaving Ireland has become very worrying. Terms and conditions for new graduates must be improved to ensure that they stay here. The Minister mentioned that he will be attending an INMO conference tomorrow. Last week, that organisation published research showing that upwards of 85% of all soon-to-graduate nursing students are contemplating going overseas to work rather than staying in the Irish health system. Coupled with that is the length of time it takes for nurses who return home to work to be registered with An Bord Altranais, an issue I have raised with the Minister previously. Such registration can take up to 90 days and I know of one nurse who actually gave up and went back to England.

I am glad that the Minister has asserted that this is a temporary rather than a permanent measure and I will be holding him to account on that. This is a vital service for the people of Dungarvan and west Waterford.

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