Carol Nolan (Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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453. To ask the Minister for Health the measures his Department has taken to retain nursing staff and reduce the annual spend on agency staff within the health sector; if he has specifically considered any measures to reduce early retirement, in particular, among nursing staff; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28493/16]

Carol Nolan (Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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454. To ask the Minister for Health if his Department has considered any measures to incentivise nurses and health care staff to work public holidays; if the terms of the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997 has had any adverse impact on the availability of staff for public holidays; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28495/16]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 453 and 454 together.

Nursing and midwifery recruitment and retention is a priority for the health service. The HSE is focused on offering graduating nurses and midwives permanent posts and on replacing agency staff with permanent staff.

Recruitment of additional nurses is the subject of considerable ongoing activity by the HSE and voluntary hospitals with campaigns in train in Ireland and abroad with a relocation package of up to €1,500 available to nurses who return from overseas. The campaigns encompass General, Mental Health, Intellectual Disability and Registered Children's Nurses, and also Midwives.

Within the Mental Health Sector, where there are particular difficulties at present, a number of measures have been introduced to increase nurse staffing levels in the short and long term. In the short term this Department issued a Circular to the HSE National Director of HR to allow a derogation from public pay policy for mental health nurse retirees to return to work for the HSE beyond the first point of the mental health nurse salary scale typically at the LSI point. In addition to this it was agreed that from 1st September 50% of the Community Allowance will be restored and the remaining 50% will be paid from 1st January 2017 (and backdated to 1st September 2016) for nurses who take up positions in the community. To address the long term staffing levels there has been an increase of 60 additional mental health student nurses for 2016 and an additional 70 places have been agreed for 2017. Efforts will continue to address the recruitment and retention issues within the Mental Health Sector.

All of the measures mentioned above will facilitate the recruitment and retention of nursing staff at all grades and disciplines within the Irish health service. My Department is in regular contact with the HSE on matters concerning the recruitment of nurses and midwives and other key staff.

The Organisation Of Working Time Act 1997 provides a level of protection to employees on health and safety grounds, states that the maximum average working week should not exceed 48 hours and specifies public holiday entitlements. The HSE terms and conditions of employment for staff in the health services who work public holidays meet and in some instances exceed those set out in the Act. Historically the average working week of junior hospital doctors would have been significantly more than 48 hours. Following intensive efforts by management over the past three years, in conjunction with the IMO, the working week of 80% of doctors is now in accordance with the Act and the related EU Directive. This in the interests of the doctors and patients and the aim is to progress to 100% compliance.