Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)
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Question 215: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the reason funding was made available to SIPTU in 2001 for the provision of training courses such as FETAC level five; the reason such training has not been provided to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24654/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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I assume the Deputy is referring to the funding of the health care assistant programme, which was introduced in 2001 on a pilot basis. SIPTU represents the staff concerned.

The Report of the Commission on Nursing (1998) recommended that there be an examination of opportunities for the increased use of care assistants and other non-nursing staff.

The Report of the Working Group — Effective Utilisation of the Professional Skills of Nurses and Midwives (DoHC, 2001) made 15 recommendations in relation to health care assistants, including that an NCVA Level 2 (now FETAC level 5) qualification be the preparation required for employment as a health care assistant.

A pilot training programme for Health Care Assistants commenced in 14 pilot sites in autumn 2001. The training course was evaluated by the Review Group on Health Service Care Staff and rolled out on a nationwide basis from autumn 2003. The numbers trained to 2005 are 1,721 and a further 1,000 places will be offered in 2006/2007.