Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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356. To ask the Minister for Health the reason the commitment given in May 2018 at a conference (details supplied) that all graduating nurses and midwifes would be offered jobs in the public health services is not being honoured; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37115/19]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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With regards to the retention of our graduate nurses, my position has not changed.  Every graduate nurse and midwife should be offered a position in the Irish health service.  This needs to be done in the context of the overall HSE recruitment budget.

The HSE have advised that while there is no national recruitment embargo or moratorium in place, there is a priority requirement for them to maintain, or get to, an affordable staffing level that is sustainable in 2019 and 2020, while also prioritising the delivery of safe services.

All hospitals are currently in the process of making every effort to retain graduates through funded vacancies, service development posts, agency displacement and through anticipated rates of attrition.