James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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166. To ask the Minister for Health his views on the findings of the external consultants who carried out a review of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI); and if these findings will have any implications for fitness-to-practise hearings and determinations made by the NMBI in recent years. [21697/16]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Following a protected disclosure the Department of Health requested the NMBI to commission a third party review of internal management and governance processes.

As a result of this review two reports have been prepared which identify historical organisational and financial governance shortcomings in the operation of the NMBI. These reports have been accepted by the Board which has acknowledged that appropriate standards and procedures were not always applied to operational and governance matters. The reports have been submitted to the Department of health for consideration and were recently published on the NMBI website. The Department of Health is working closely with the NMBI to ensure that enhanced governance procedures are implemented and that robust management and operational processes are introduced. Notwithstanding the shortcomings raised in these reports the Board has confirmed that its regulatory functions, including all such functions relating to fitness to practice, have always been dealt with in accordance with statutory requirements. The NMBI is already implementing the reports’ recommendations and is committed to ensuring that all necessary steps will be taken to ensure that these events to not re-occur.

A new President and a new interim CEO have been appointed and the post of Director of Finance and Corporate Services has been advertised. The actions being taken on foot of these reports will provide the framework for the Board to perform its functions efficiently and effectively, in an open and transparent manner while delivering on its core responsibilities of public protection and the promotion of the nursing and midwifery professions.

While these problems should not have arisen, they are now being addressed. It is important therefore that they should not undermine or overshadow the extensive work being undertaken by the NMBI as the regulator for the nursing and midwifery profession.

I am confident that the change management programme currently underway in the NMBI will ensure that it delivers on its statutory requirements in an appropriate manner into the future.