Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I find it unusual to have to apologise for being courteous to the Deputy but I will take her at her wish. The Deputy is correct in that if we look back to 2007 and compare the figures then to the latest figures, there has been a reduction in the number of community nurses. If the question is pitched in terms of the timelines as the Deputy has done she is correct the figure is down. This reflects the fact that the recruitment moratorium that was in place across the public service from 2007 had a real and lasting impact on staffing levels in the health service. I acknowledge that and I also acknowledge that if we are talking about new services we need to staff them. 

Nonetheless, it is important to recognise that there has been a reversal in the trend of declining numbers in more recent years. Since December 2014, there has been a year-on-year increase in community nursing numbers which have risen from 14,539 to 15,175 as of April this year. That is 636 extra nurses. The Deputy has asked for a great deal of statistical data and I will of course arrange for it to be provided in tabular format.  

Past staffing levels may have added to the pressures of delivering services but the commitment and flexibility of front-line staff, combined with innovative ways of working, have ensured the focus has always remained on patient care. There are several recruitment and retention initiatives in place to assist in further bolstering nursing capacity, including offering permanent posts to graduate nurses, continuing the process of pay restoration and offering new opportunities for career development.

Also, in recognition of the need to increase capacity in public health nursing, the number of sponsorships for post registration education will rise to 160 by 2019. This year there will be 150 sponsorships, that is, 42 additional places since 2016. This reflects the commitment to improve recruitment and retention in nursing and midwifery.

As I heard very clearly when I addressed the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, INMO, conference in Cork only a few weeks ago, it is very eagerly awaiting the outcome of the Public Service Pay Commission negotiations. We have specifically asked the commission to consider issues regarding recruitment and retention of healthcare staff, including nurses as a new tranche of their work. We will be guided by their recommendations on how we assist with the Deputy’s question about recruitment and retention.

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