Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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285. To ask the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to correspondence regarding recruitment and retention of nurses (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18927/18]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I am aware of the correspondence from the Psychiatric Nurses Association which was sent to all Dáil Deputies and Ministers, and which refers to the deliberations of the Public Service Pay Commission.

As you already know, the Public Service Pay Commission was established to advise Government on Public Service Remuneration policy. It made its first report to Government in May 2017, which informed negotiations on a successor to the Lansdowne Road Agreement. While the evidence collected by the Commission suggested that there are no significant recruitment difficulties across the public service vocational streams, it found evidence of some recruitment and retention issues in certain specific areas of the public service. These include certain areas of the health sector (including nurses and midwives) and the Defence Forces, as well as senior executive and professional posts in the civil service.

It suggested that ‘a more comprehensive examination of underlying difficulties’ could take place where ‘such difficulties are clearly evident’. The Public Service Stability Agreement 2018-2020, which was ratified by the PNA, provides for such an examination to take place. The aim of the next phase of work by the Public Service Pay Commission is to determine to what extent, if any, issues relating to the recruitment and retention of staff exist within certain sectors of the public service.

The Public Service Pay Commission is taking a modular approach. The first module is looking at health grades - including nurses and midwives. Their report is expected in June and I look forward to reading its findings.