Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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1392. To ask the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the lengthy delays in the registration of nurses, coming from or returning from overseas, with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland; and if he will request the board to consider measures to accelerate registrations in view of staff shortages.; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28893/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Responsibility for the regulation of nurses and midwives in Ireland rests with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI). The NMBI has a number of statutory obligations to protect the integrity of the practice of the professions of nursing and midwifery, and to protect the public. These obligations include:

- maintaining the Register of Nurses & Midwives,

- setting the standards for the education and training of nurses and midwives,

- approving programmes of education necessary for registration and specialisms and monitoring of these programmes on an ongoing basis,

- supporting registrants by providing appropriate guidance on professional conduct and ethics for both registered nurses and midwives, and

- conducting inquiries into complaints about registrants.

On 1 November 2021, there were 81,331 nurses and midwives on the NMBI Register. This is the highest ever number and is 2,003 or 2.5% above the 01 November 2020 figure of 79,328 registrants. NMBI intends shortly to publish more granular details from the Register based on the data from the 2021 renewal cycle. This will provide the most up-to-date and accurate view of the Register.

In recent years, the NMBI had been dealing with an increasing volume of overseas applications to the Register. This, along with the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic and the work involved in transitioning to a new digital registration system (MyNMBI) had led to a backlog in processing overseas (non-EU) registration applications.

Over the past number of months, my Department has been actively engaged with the NMBI to reduce this backlog and to ensure a more streamlined process for managing overseas applications. A key milestone in the registration process is the applicant attaining a Decision Letters (DLs) from the NMBI. This allows the applicant to apply for the necessary visa, required so that they can take the final steps to secure registration.

The NMBI recognises the importance of prompt processing of all applications for registration, particularly in the current climate where additional staffing is required around the country. Intensive efforts are continuing to expedite the processing of these overseas applications and several new measures are being undertaken by NMBI including:

- Additional resources, including staffing. Currently, there are 26 staff in the NMBI’s Registrationdepartment; in 2021 there were 14 staff members,

- Process improvements,

- Applicant input and collaboration,

- Updated NMBI guidance, and

- Stakeholder communication and collaboration.

I am pleased to inform the Deputy that these measures are having a positive effect across the various stages of the process with the increase in the number of DLs in particular demonstrating this. In 2021, 2,430 DLs issued to overseas applicants, and year to date in 2022, NMBI has issued 2,253 DLs. This means that the backlog in processing overseas applications has been greatly reduced. The NMBI is now forecasting that it will issue over 5,000 DLs in 2022. The NMBI has now reported to my Department that currently, complete applications can be processed within 90 days, which is in accordance with its key performance indicator for these applications.

Along with the NMBI, I welcome registration applications from those nurses and midwives who were educated overseas as they seek to join the health service workforce in the State.