Jerry Buttimer (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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159. To ask the Minister for Health his views on the 50% increase in its annual retention fee by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland; the steps the will take to reduce the fee; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38775/14]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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A new Nurses and Midwives Act was passed into legislation in 2011. The Act provides, inter alia, for the protection of the public in its dealings with nurses and midwives and the enhancement of their high standards of professional education and competencies. The Department of Health is responsible for oversight of the governance of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI). The Department has no role in setting or approving registration fees.

The Board is an independent body, answerable to the Oireachtas, with the responsibility to ensure that it has the financial capacity to undertake all its legal obligations. The cost of enacting the additional requirements under the Nurses and Midwives Act 20141 was set out in the Regulatory Impact Analysis that was carried out prior to the enactment of the legislation. These costs include an enhanced regulatory process with supporting systems for continued professional development and certain education and training requirements for the professions.

It was also made clear at the time of the legislation that the Board would continue to be self-funding and needed to plan and cost how it would fulfil its legal obligations. Following detailed negotiations with the Executive and Board members in 2013 it was agreed in October 2013 that an initial once-off sum of €1.6m would be granted by the Department to the Board to cover 2013/2014 costs, but that the Board would have to increase its income in 2015 to undertake its commitments in the legislation. The Board of the NMBI made the decision to increase the annual registration fee at its meeting on 17th September, 2014. A helpline, email address and website information page have been made available by the NMBI to provide clarification for registrants who may have queries on this matter.