Thomas Byrne (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am grateful to the Cathaoirleach for allowing the matter to the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Deputy Heather Humphreys, on the Adjournment today. We all look forward to hearing what she has to say. Everything that has been done has been done in private and behind closed doors. It has been very unsatisfactory.

I want to raise a very important issue affecting nurses, one I have raised before and on which we should have a special debate. An Bord Altranais - the nursing board - has been given full power to set fees under recent legislation and almost doubled them. While the matter was discussed here last week, we should have a special debate on it. I highlight it again, as there will be a protest this week. Uniquely among PAYE professionals, nurses are obliged to pay their own registration fees. The vast majority of professionals who pay registration fees can deduct them from their tax, but that option is not available to nurses. We should, therefore, have a special debate on the issue because nurses do so much work. While I raised it last week, I raise it again as it has not received the attention it deserves. Nurses need a break. We should question bureaucracies at all times about what they need money for and how it is being spent. There does not appear to be any avenue for us to question the board which has full power to set these fees. I call for a special debate with the Minister for Health and reject saying it is not our responsibility. It is the responsibility of the Oireachtas because we gave An Bord Altranais the power to do this and must check that power by asking why exactly it is increasing the fees. It is not fair to a particular, hard-pressed section of society and public life whose members do so much good.