Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 110: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the number of nursing posts unfilled at the latest date for which figures are available; the number of qualified nurses who were offered permanent posts in the acute hospital service during 2004; if her attention has been drawn to the warnings from the INO that the number of vacancies would rise to 2,000 over the next 18 months; the number of vacancies for ICU nurses and the hospitals in which they exist; the number of nursing vacancies in accident and emergency departments and the hospitals in which they exist; the steps being taken to deal with the shortage of nurses; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4211/05]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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According to the most recent Health Service Employers Agency survey of nursing resources, recruitment remains well ahead of resignations and retirements. Employers reported that 794 vacancies existed at 30 September 2004. The vacancy rate now stands at 2.34%. This could be considered to be a normal frictional rate, given that there will always be some level of movement due to resignations, retirements and nurses availing of opportunities to change employment and locations.

The survey does not collect data on vacancies in individual hospital departments such as accident and emergency or intensive care departments. Data on the number of nurses offered permanent contracts in acute hospitals are not available. However, the survey found that in the year ending on 30 September 2004, a total of 3,749 staff nurses were recruited by health boards, voluntary hospitals and intellectual disability agencies. During the same year, 3,188 staff nurses resigned, retired or moved to another employer. An extra 561 nurses were employed in the health service in the year ending on 30 September 2004.

The recruitment and retention of adequate numbers of nursing staff have been a concern of the Government for some time. A number of substantial measures have been introduced in recent years. The number of nursing training places has been increased by 70% since 1998, to 1,640 from 2002 onwards. In excess of €90 million in revenue funding is being provided in 2005 for undergraduate nurse training. Nursing continues to be regarded as an attractive career. There were 8,300 CAO applications for 1,640 places in the autumn 2004 intake.

A comprehensive range of financial supports has been introduced to support nurses in pursuing part-time degrees and specialist courses, including "back to practice" courses. The cost of these supports will be €10 million in 2005.

The Department introduced a scheme of flexible working arrangements for nurses and midwives in February 2001. Under the scheme, individual nurses and midwives may apply to work between eight and 39 hours per week on a permanent, part-time basis. Almost a quarter of nurses now work job sharing hours or part-time hours.

Since 1998, nurses have been paid for overtime. Previously they had been given time off in lieu, and the introduction of payment represents a further significant financial incentive for nurses.

The promotional structure within nursing, including the introduction of a clinical career pathway, has been substantially improved on foot of the recommendations of the commission on nursing and the 1999 nurses' pay settlement. The National Council for the Professional Development of Nursing and Midwifery has been especially active in this area and, to date, over 1,600 clinical nurse specialist and advanced nurse practitioner posts have been created.

Ensuring that there are sufficient nursing resources in 2005-06 is a priority for the HSE. This will be the transition year between the diploma and degree programmes. The final group of diploma students recently graduated and the first group of degree students will graduate in 2006. A steering group inclusive of nurse managers and HR specialists is being established by the HSE to manage recruitment in this period. This group will oversee the work of a project office tasked with running local and overseas recruitment campaigns. Additional funding has been provided to the HSE for nursing recruitment in 2005.

I am confident that the extensive range of measures I have outlined, including the substantial increase in training places, the recruitment of overseas nurses, the more effective utilisation of the professional skills of nurses and midwives, in addition to close monitoring and assessment of staffing on an ongoing basis, will continue to prove effective in addressing the nursing workforce needs of the health service.