Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

279. To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide a report on the number of public health nurses in Dublin mid-west in 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35040/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

280. To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide a report on the number of public health nurses per CHO area in 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35041/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

281. To ask the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 99 of 17 May 2022, if he will report on his Department’s role on the recently established Strategic Workforce Advisory Group which will examine and make recommendations around strategic workforce challenges in front-line carer roles in home support and nursing homes; the number of meetings attended to date by representative from his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34630/22]

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Following a call for submissions from relevant stakeholders, I established the cross-departmental Strategic Workforce Advisory Group in March 2022. The remit of the Group is to identify—and formulate recommendations to address—strategic workforce challenges in the home-support and nursing home sectors. Accordingly, the Group is examining issues such as the recruitment, retention, training, career-development, and pay and conditions of front-line carers in these sectors so that solutions can be found. 

To date the Group has met four times and is scheduled to meet again in July. The Group’s deliberations have been informed by a structured programme of stakeholder-engagement consisting of a series of bi-lateral meetings and a facilitated workshop, which was held on 23^rdMay. Engagement with key stakeholders in the home-support and nursing home sectors continues to inform the Group’s exploration of the issues arising. 

In addition, the work of the Group will be informed by an evidence review of the role, function, and supply of home-support workers in four European countries, which the Department of Health has  commissioned from the Health Research Board. This will provide insight into home-support workers’ employment-conditions internationally. 

A report outlining the Group’s key findings and recommendations will be submitted to me by September 2022.