Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Independent)
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212. To ask the Minister for Health the nature of the relationship between his Department and An Bord Altranais; if he has an oversight role in regard to the financial spending of the board; his views on the need to raise the registration fee; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5222/15]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (previously known as An Bord Altranais) is governed by the Nurses and Midwives Act 2011 and is a legal entity in its own right. Its accountability lies in the main to the Minister for Health. Having regard to the relevant sections of the Act, there is a certain amount of accountability to the Houses of the Oireachtas but in the most part the Minister for Health has the greater role in this regard.

The Minister for Health can require the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (the NMBI) to provide him with information in relation to the performance of its functions. He can give general policy directions in writing to the NMBI in relation to the performance of the NMBI's functions and it shall comply with such directions. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) under the direction of the NMBI shall keep on a continuous basis proper books of accounts of all income and expenditure of the NMBI and of the sources of such income and the subject matter of such expenditure, and of the property, assets and liabilities of the NMBI. The CEO shall keep, and account to the Board for, all such special accounts as the Minister or the Board, with the consent of the Minister, may from time to time direct should be kept. The NMBI has recently published Annual Reports for 2012 and 2013, including the accounts that have been signed off by the Comptroller and Auditor General.

The NMBI has a statutory responsibility to ensure that it discharges its legal obligations within the financial resources available while also maximising efficiencies and income generation, in keeping with best practice in financial governance.

I, with the Chief Nursing Officer, met with the President, Vice-President and Chief Executive of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland on 29th January 2015 to discuss the current dispute over the increased registration fee. I again requested that the NMBI re-engage in discussions with the staff associations, as a matter of urgency. I expressed my concern regarding the potential implications for the health service and patient safety should the current impasse over the annual retention fee increase continue. I appreciate the registration fee is set by the NMBI which is a self-funding organisation. It is facing considerable costs arising from changes to the way the laws regulating the professions operate, and also from handling fitness to practice complaints.

I encouraged the NMBI to find an outcome which secures the Board’s minimum financial operating requirements but avoids a potential scenario where nurses and midwives may be removed from the Register for non-payment of fees with potential consequences for service availability. Taking nurses off the register in a few months time would create huge problems for hospitals and community facilities which need nurses to function, and for nurses themselves who would not be able to work or get paid if they were not registered. Since that meeting the Board has agreed to engage in discussions with the staff associations, facilitated by a third party, on the means by which the board and staff associations might come to an agreement on the fee structure for the future.

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