Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Deputy Kenny for his important question. I am taking this on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Donnelly. I thank the Deputy for raising the issue.

As we are all aware, the public health nursing service plays an incredibly valuable role in the provision of an extensive range of front-line community services encompassing health promotion, disease prevention, screening and the delivery of high-quality, evidence-based, preventative care services tailored to the needs of the individual. In addition, the public health nurse works in collaboration with other members of the primary care team, such as GPs, practice nurses, the wider health and social care network teams and the acute, secondary and tertiary adult and children services, and with the national Child and Family Agency, Tusla.

I do not think we can underestimate the importance of a public health nurse, as the Deputy said, for new babies' infant developmental checks and for older people. If an older person needs support, it is the public health nurse who will do an assessment and make a referral for the vital home care supports. This valuable role was highlighted during the pandemic when many public health nurse staff were redeployed to support Covid-19 related clinical activities. At that time, a prioritisation framework was put in place to ensure available staff were enabled to identify and support patients with the greatest need in the community.

However, since the post-pandemic resumption of core duties, in some parts of the country, the public health nursing service is challenged by staff shortages. Where these vacancies exist, it is having an impact on the capacity to deliver routine public health services. Unfortunately, at present, the public health nursing service in Dublin Mid-West - the Deputy mentioned Newcastle, Lucan and, I think, Clondalkin - is one area significantly impacted. This represents a significant challenge for the service. The Department of Health fully acknowledges the frustration of the people of Dublin Mid-West, where these staff shortages and delays in accessing routine services are no doubt causing anxiety and stress.

The Department asked the HSE for an update on what measures are being taken to address the issue of public health nurse shortages in Dublin Mid-West. As the Deputy is aware, management and administrative grade staff in the Fórsa union in the HSE commenced industrial action on Friday, 6 October. Because of this industrial action, members in these grades are not engaging with political forums or processes. As a result, the Department has not received the required update for the Deputy.

The Department of Health fully acknowledges that much more needs to be done to ensure the vital services public health nurses provide are available throughout all parts of the country. However, recruitment to these vacant nursing posts continues to challenge the nursing services despite ongoing recruitment campaigns and attendances at recruitment fairs, both nationally and internationally.

Last year, the HSE established a community nursing oversight group tasked with the development of proposals and recommendations to address the challenges of recruitment and retention within community nursing. The Minister, Deputy Donnelly, has advised that the Department of Health will continue to support and work with the HSE to address challenges faced by community nursing in general and public health nursing shortages in Dublin Mid-West, in particular.

I am sorry there is not more detail in the answer but that is all that was available to us.

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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Notwithstanding the fact that, over the past three years, there are more than 20,000 new whole-time equivalents working in the HSE, there are recruitment challenges across several sectors. It is posing a particular challenge for the public health nurse service. There is a considerable nursing vacancy rate across west Dublin. When the recruitment freeze was announced, any posts that had already been offered and any posts for which the offer had been made and Garda vetting was under way will still go ahead, just to let the Deputy know that. In response to the staff shortages, the public health nurse service is triaging all referrals to ensure a safe service is provided to those with the greatest clinical need in the community.

It is disappointing and frustrating that these staff shortages persist. The Department of Health has been previously assured by the HSE that every effort is being made to address the recruitment challenges in the short term, including ongoing recruitment campaigns. It is expected the HSE community nursing national oversight group will propose recommendations later this year that aim to address some of the longer term issues regarding the recruitment and retention of public health nurses and community registered general nurses. As I said, the public health nurses are the most important cog in the community, whether it is a new baby, an older person or a child with additional needs. It is a service that is very effective and relevant. I will discuss this with the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, later and will ask him again to engage on it with the HSE. It is not the first the Deputy has raised this, I have heard him raise it before. It is very important that people can access the service regardless of where they live.