Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Question 90: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she will proceed with the appointment of a chief nursing officer to provide her with professional advice at a salary of between €92,000 and €107,000; her views on whether this is excessive while the ban on recruitment of front-line staff is in place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24023/07]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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I should explain at the outset that the chief nursing officer (CNO) in the Department of Health and Children has been in existence since 1998. The Report of the Commission on Nursing (1998) strongly supported and endorsed the appointment of a CNO. It recognised the need to strengthen the workforce planning and professional leadership functions in the Department and recommended the continued development of the post. It envisaged the new position would have a crucial role in strengthening the central planning and strategic development of nursing and midwifery. To date there have been two holders of the position. The outgoing CNO completed her term of office on 30 September 2007, and the Public Appointments Service is currently recruiting a successor on behalf of my Department.

It is my view that the appointment of a new chief nursing officer should proceed as speedily as possible. I do not believe that the salary (which is linked to the Principal Officer Higher Scale) is excessive given the role and responsibilities of this post. The Deputy will be aware that the Department is not involved in the provision of front-line services, and there is no link between this appointment and the corrective measures currently being taken by the HSE in order to remain within its budget. The post is funded from my Department's Vote.

There are many important developments currently taking place and in train in respect of nursing policy, e.g. the bedding down of the undergraduate nursing degree programmes, rolling out the nurse prescribing initiative, modernising the regulatory framework for the nursing profession and making it more accountable to the public, together with the general expansion of the role of nursing and midwifery in the delivery of enhanced patient services to the public. The CNO provides professional advice to the Minister and the Department generally on nursing and midwifery related issues. It is vitally important that there is in position a chief nursing officer who can provide professional leadership to the profession at national level on nursing and midwifery related policy matters. The importance of filling this post is recognised by all stakeholders, including the main nursing unions, who fully support the appointment of a new chief nursing officer at this time.