Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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215. To ask the Minister for Health if he or his Department receive regular updates from the Nursing and Midwifery Board regarding the number of nurses that apply to go abroad to work each year; his views on same; the specific actions he and the HSE are taking to prevent this in the short, medium and long term; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26119/17]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I can confirm that the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI) do not routinely provided updates to the Department on an ongoing basis. However, the NMBI have provided information on the number of Certificates of Current Professional Status (CCPS) issued as and when requested. In this regard, a total of 1,059 nurses and midwives requested such certificates from January 2016 – December 2016 - the top 5 countries for such certificates and the associated number of certificates issued is set out below:

- 421Australia;

- 381United Kingdom;

- 91USA;

- 45Canada;

- 20New Zealand.

It should be noted that nurses and midwives request this Certificate when they are intending to work abroad. However, it should be noted that nurses and midwives who receive this Certificate do not in all cases actually travel abroad - some of them may for a variety of reasons decide to stay in Ireland instead of travelling.

With regard to the second part of your question, I would like to advise the Deputy that under proposals agreed at the WRC between this Department, DPER, the HSE, the INMO and SIPTU management have committed to increases in the HSE’s National Workforce Plan for nurses and midwives in 2017. Management are to increase the nursing and midwifery workforce in 2017, through a broad range of initiatives that will result in the delivery of 1,208 additional permanent posts; including the conversion of agency employed staff into HSE direct employees, and offering all graduating nurses and midwives full time contracts.

Other key measures agreed include improved maternity leave cover; a career break scheme; 130 additional undergraduate places in 2017; and offering nurses and midwives improved educational opportunities and career pathways which will support recruitment and retention in the medium and long term.

A Section 10 Direction was placed before the Houses of Oireachtas in respect of the agreement. The HSE will have to report to the Minister for Health on the performance and implementation of these arrangements as part of the 2017 National Service Plan. The HSE will also have to provide special reports by June, September and December 2017 on the recruitment of the posts provided in the workforce plan.

A HSE Circular has issued that allows delegation of recruitment to Directors of Nursing. A High Level Group with an independent chair has been established to oversee implementation of this agreement.

The above is in addition to the many other initiatives currently underway to improve nursing and midwifery staffing levels throughout the country. The number of nursing and midwifery staff increased by 113 WTEs from the end of March to the end of April and by 714 WTEs since the end of 2016. Overall nursing WTEs are at the highest levels since 2011 with numbers increasing since 2015 notwithstanding intense global competition for our nurses and midwives.