Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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294. To ask the Minister for Health to give detailed consideration to the issues raised in a document produced by a national organisation (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40079/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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As you are aware under the Programme for Government, released earlier this year, lays out the roadmap for the plan for Government over the next 5 years.

Through the ongoing implementation of Sláintecare and sustained investment, reform, and leadership, this Government has committed to improving access to high-quality patient care, reducing waiting times and further reducing the cost of accessing care. This Government is committed to further reducing Emergency Department (ED) overcrowding and enhancing urgent care services nationwide.

The Government recognises the need to make nursing and midwifery posts attractive and to fill as many as possible on a permanent basis. The current priorities are to:

• recruit additional nurses and midwives as well as reducing the reliance on contract and agency staff,
• increase the number of Advanced Nurse Practitioners,
• increase the number of nursing and midwifery places in undergraduate education,
• continue to promote and increase pathways to nursing and midwifery education,
• increase Public Health Nurse numbers through a sponsorship scheme for nurses training in public health.