Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It has long been the practice, both in this country and internationally, that registered health professions pay an annual registration fee to their respective regulator allowing it to perform its functions independently of State support. The regulation of the healthcare sector and its professionals has become increasingly important over recent decades to ensure the compliance of set standards of healthcare and administration.

As I said, the NMBI has a number of statutory obligations to fulfil to protect the integrity of the practice of the professions of nursing and midwifery, to protect the public and to ensure patient safety. The NMBI performs important functions in setting education standards, approving training programmes and investigating complaints against registrants. The annual retention fee is the single most important item of income for the NMBI in order for the board to progress these statutory duties.

My Department, as part of its oversight and monitoring role regarding regulators within the health sector, including the NMBI, will continue to engage with it as appropriate. This engagement will include guidance and support but will fully respect its independence, as required by the legislation.

Regarding the professions of nursing and midwifery, there are many recent positive developments for these careers in recent years. For example, the creation of the enhanced nurse-midwife role allows today's graduate nursing and midwifery students to apply, after one year and 16 weeks' suitable experience, for these enhanced nurse-midwife roles, with a starting salary of €37,161. That does not include those allowances or premium pay that are also available.

Additional promotion opportunities are available under advanced and specialist practice where the policy of the development of the graduate to advance nursing and midwifery practice provides a framework for graduate nurses to draw upon their undergraduate programme and translate their broad-based experience and knowledge into action.

Again, the Minister has confirmed that he is trying to resolve this issue and I hope we will have some positive outcome in the coming weeks.

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