John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

194. To ask the Minister for Health to outline the potential roles of advanced nurse practitioners; whether she has any plans to expand such roles; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24045/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The policy on the Development of Graduate to Advanced Nursing and Midwifery Practice was published in 2019. It was developed to maximise the nursing and midwifery response to address emerging and future patient and service needs. Creating a critical mass of advanced practitioners contributes effectively in addressing population health needs; improves timely access to services, promotes hospital avoidance, reduces waiting lists, and supports the integration of services.

As a result of continued investment in advanced practice, the percentage of the total nursing and midwifery workforce at advanced practice level increased from 1.9% in December 2022 to over 2.5% in March 2025.

Advanced nursing and midwifery practitioners are allocated to policy priority areas and areas of identified service need. The Programme for Government 2025 supports the increase in the number of advanced practice roles for nurses and midwives. Budget 2025 allocated €5.5 million to support continued growth of Advanced Practice in nursing and midwifery and to enable these roles to be rolled out for the first time for Health and Social Care Professionals. In 2025, engagement with the HSE will continue to ensure these posts support implementation of more care in the community and primary care areas, in line with new regional structures in the HSE and areas of policy priority including community waiting lists through HSCP led care, nursing and midwifery led care in the community, cancer care, women’s health and acute care areas experiencing challenges with access to care.