Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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602. To ask the Minister for Health the estimated cost of expanding the current public health nurse sponsorship programme by 200 nurses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8789/20]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy may be aware, sponsorship is available from the HSE for nurses who want to become public health nurses (PHNs). The programme runs for one academic year starting in September. The number of sponsorships advertised each year by the HSE is based on the projected vacancies arising within individual HSE Community Health Organisations ( CHOs). Successful applicants for sponsorship are required to give a written undertaking that, following successful completion of the programme, he/she will immediately register as a PHN with the Nursing & Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI) and accept an initial assignment in their sponsoring  CHO.

I have been advised by the HSE that the cost to train one PHN  is made up mainly of two elements, salary costs and course fees for the one year programme. The current annual salary cost for a Student PHN ( including employer's PRSI at 11.05%) is €37,466 and course fees are €8,500, giving a total cost per student of just under €46,000. The cost of expanding the PHN sponsorship programme by training an additional 200 PHNs  would therefore amount to €9,200,000. 

The Deputy may wish to note that the recurring annual cost of employing an additional PHN is approximately €66,000 per whole time equivalent PHN. This figure is based on the 5th point of the salary scale (€52,462), plus  employer's PRSI at 11.05%  and a further 15% for overhead/travel costs.