Pádraic McCormack (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Question 219: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if she has satisfied herself that there are enough public health nurses in the Health Service Executive primary and community care sector to maintain levels of care in the community now and to deal with the anticipated workload for public health nurses in the future; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3064/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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At the end of September 2005 there were a total of 1,578 whole-time equivalent public health nurses or 1,905 individual public health nurses, employed by the Health Service Executive. The HSE sponsors 130 nurses per annum to undertake the higher diploma in public health nursing. The annual cost of this programme is in excess of €4.5 million. The projected supply from these training courses is expected to meet current demand.

In addition to public health nurses, care in the community is delivered by a mix of different skills and disciplines, including registered general nurses, home helps and health care assistants. In certain geographical areas, public health nurse vacancies are waiting to be filled. In these areas, registered general nurses and health care assistants are employed to enhance the skill mix and maximise the services of the existing public health nurses in that area.

I have no doubt that the HSE fully recognises workforce planning as a dynamic process and that it must continue to be conscious of future developments and additional future demands, in the context of the most effective use of all human resources and mixes of skills.