Theresa Ahearn
Question:77 Mrs. T. Ahearn asked the Minister for Health and Children the timeframe within which he will implement each of the proposals contained in the report of the Commission on Nursing; and the progress made to date. [26867/99]
Vol. 512 No. 7
77 Mrs. T. Ahearn asked the Minister for Health and Children the timeframe within which he will implement each of the proposals contained in the report of the Commission on Nursing; and the progress made to date. [26867/99]
139 Mr. Shatter asked the Minister for Health and Children the timeframe within which he will implement each of the proposals contained in the report of the Commission on Nursing; and the progress made to date. [27179/99]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 77 and 139 together.
The report of the Commission on Nursing, A Blueprint for the Future, contains over 200 wide-ranging recommendations for addressing the underlying problems within the nursing profession and developing the role of nurses and midwives in the health services.
At the launch of the commission's report in September 1998, I gave a commitment on behalf of the Government to take immediate action in a number of priority areas in response to the commission's recommendations. In spite of the recent industrial relations difficulties, real progress has been made in the following areas: draft legislative proposals to amend the Nurses Act, 1985, are in the course of preparation in my Department; a nursing education forum has been established to prepare the ground for moving pre-registration nursing education to a four year degree programme; funding has been provided for the establishment of a nursing andmidwifery planning and development unit in each health board area; the nursing policy division of my Department has been strengthened through the appointment of additional nurse advisors on a contract basis; and the clinicians in management initiative involving nurses in the management of the health services has been launched.