Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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176. To ask the Minister for Health whether he is aware of the significant potential loss of nurses in our nursing homes and senior citizens services; the action he will take on this urgent matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24153/15]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I wish to thank the Deputy for raising this issue. The nursing home public and private sectors are collaborating with the Department of Health and the HSE in sourcing several solutions to meeting the issues arising in relation to nurse recruitment and retention.

Currently, there are two areas under active review in relation to these recruitment and retention issues. Firstly, there is the issue of recruitment of nurses educated and trained in Ireland. The HSE Office of the Nursing and Midwifery Services Director has been supportive in allowing the nursing home sector meet with graduate students in the universities, to discuss employment opportunities. In addition, the Chief Nursing Office in the Department has been engaged with, the public and private nursing home sector in promoting nursing in the older adult as a career choice. The Office has facilitated ongoing discussions, spoken at conferences and engaged with 3rd level universities on seeking solutions to the recruitment and retention issue. These discussions have involved exploring and reviewing career pathways within older people services to encourage more staff into this area of nursing practice.

The second area under review relates to the undertaking of initiatives for the recruitment of global nurses. The background to this issue is that nurses who trained in a country outside of Ireland and wish to work in Ireland are required to apply to register as a nurse with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland. The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland, following assessment of qualifications by an applicant, may require an applicant to undertake a six to twelve week period of adaptation and assessment. A period of adaptation is designed to make up for differences in education and ensure competence for working in the Irish health service. If this adaptation is required it must be successfully completed as a pre-requisite to registration.

A collaborative group including Department of Health, HSE and Nursing Homes Ireland (NHI) representatives continue to explore options to facilitate adaptation. In this regard some hospitals will respond to local need from local nursing homes, and this has been encouraged within the hospital group structures; some hospitals will continue to support placements pending funding from NHI though not at peak undergraduate student times; and, some are withdrawing from the provision of clinical placements to facilitate their own internal international recruitment initiatives.

In addition, options are being explored with an Irish university to offer a one-day programme of assessment through an examination format. It is hoped that the pilot of this programme will be complete and results available in the last quarter of 2015.