David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

390. To ask the Minister for Health the number of WTE nursing positions in place at University Hospital Waterford for each of the years 2006 to 2015 and to date in 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33730/16]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

As this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.

David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

391. To ask the Minister for Health the difficulties encountered in recruiting nurses into the public system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33731/16]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Nursing and midwifery recruitment and retention is a priority for the health service. Recruitment is challenging given nursing shortages globally, intense competition at home and abroad and the standing of Irish trained nurses and midwives.

There are many initiatives currently underway to improve staffing levels throughout the country. The HSE is offering permanent posts to 2016 degree programme graduates, and full time permanent contracts to those in temporary posts. The HSE is also focused on converting agency staffing to permanent posts. The HSE's National Recruitment Service is actively operating rolling nursing recruitment campaigns. The campaigns encompass General, Mental Health, Intellectual Disability and Registered Children's Nurses, and also Midwives. In addition, a relocation package of up to €1,500 is available to nurses who return from overseas.

A number of specific measures have also been taken in relation to pay that will support the recruitment and retention of Irish nursing and midwifery graduates. Measures to date include the first stage of pay restoration under the Lansdowne Road Agreement, additional pay in return for taking on some duties from doctors and an increase in the rate of pay for the student nursing placement to 70% of the first point of the staff nurse pay scale. Last month the Government approved restoration of incremental credit for all nurses in respect of the 36 week clinical placement undertaken by 4th year student nurses in the context of the 2017 Estimates. This decision means that all nurses and midwives will receive incremental credit for the 36 week placement restored from 1 January 2017, restoration of the credit to 2016 and future graduates having been approved earlier this year. It is estimated that the inclusion of 2011 to 2015 graduates will benefit around 4,000 nurses who are currently working within the public health service and potentially another 3,000 who may wish to return to the public system in the future.

There has been an increase of almost 1,200 nurses employed in the public health service (34,336 to 35,534) from September 2014 to September 2016, numbers having fallen by almost 4,600 from 2007 to 2014. The total budget for the health service in 2017 is €14.6 billion, the highest budget ever allocated to the health service and this will allow for the recruitment of additional frontline staff to meet service needs. It is intended that this will support the recruitment of up to 1,000 additional nurses. Given recognised difficulties in filling psychiatric nursing vacancies, an additional 60 undergraduate places have been put in place this autumn with a further 70 additional places to be provided next year.