Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I am concerned regarding the implications for the health service and patient safety should the current impasse over the annual retention fee increase continue. I have therefore written last week to the President of the Board of NMBI and asking that options be explored to bring a resolution to issues surrounding the annual retention fee. I recognise that the Board must meet its obligations within the financial resources available. At the same time this demands that obligations are met on the most economic basis possible and all planned expenditure can be demonstrated as necessary.

I have again requested that the Board of NMBI re-engage in discussions with the staff associations, as a matter of urgency. An outcome must be found which secures the Board’s minimum financial operating requirements but avoids a scenario where nurses and midwives are removed from the Register for non-payment of fees with potential consequences for service availability.

I will continue to monitor the situation closely in the interests of patient safety and continuity of care.

I have offered that both my officials and I are available to engage with the Board should that be of assistance.

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 2011 was set out in the Regulatory Impact Analysis that was carried out prior to the enactment of the legislation.

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 17 September 2014.