asked the Minister for Health whether he will take steps to introduce an 88-hour working fortnight for nurses in place of the present 96-hour fortnight; and if he will establish a time limit within which this 88-hour fortnight shall be introduced.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Nurses' Conditions of Service.
2.
I have no functions in relation to the hours of duty of nurses employed in Voluntary Hospitals.
The hours of duty of nurses employed in health authority hospitals is a matter for the health authorities in the first instance. I am aware that negotiations are proceeding at present between the local authorities and the organisations representing nurses employed by such authorities regarding hours of duty, amongst other matters.
I am awaiting the result of these negotiations.
Is the Minister aware that there is a danger of a complete withdrawal of all the nursing staff at St. Kevins? Does he not think it is something in which he should be interested and endeavour to secure some settlement, even by virtue of his good offices?
After all, this is a matter in the first instance for the Dublin Health Authority, a body which was entrusted with responsibility for these matters by the Oireachtas not so long ago. It would be entirely premature for me to try and influence them or the nurses' organisation to be reasonable in these matters.
When he states this is a matter primarily for the local authorities, is it not a fact that the Minister himself has gone over the heads of the local authorities in connection with the back payment of salaries to the doctors, and surely he is in a position to go over the heads of the local authorities in matters affecting the nurses?
The Deputy surely is not as dense as that. He is aware of the Statute under which I operate as Minister for Health. Every officer of a health authority has a right of appeal to the Minister. The Minister, therefore, considers these appeals in a judicial way and decides what appears to him as a matter of justice. That is not going over the heads of the local authorities.
Did the Minister not state deliberately to the I.M.A. that he had no function and could not interfere with local authorities?
The I.M.A. dispute does not arise on this.
I do not think I should take the Deputy's supplementaries seriously.
The Minister has declared war on the nurses as well as the doctors.
The Fianna Fáil Party in County Roscommon are not taking the Minister seriously and are voting against him on the county council on this very issue.
Maybe Roscommon County Council will take me seriously.
3.
asked the Minister for Health whether his Department is studying the question of including provisions for off-duty in the conditions of service of public health nurses who are not attached to county headquarters; and whether any action on this matter is to be taken in the near future.
The solution of the problem of providing for "off-duty" periods, in relation to the staffs mentioned in the question, is, as the Deputy will appreciate, not easy to find and is appropriate for consideration by each local authority in the first instance, in relation to the variety of local circumstances obtaining, including the number, distribution and duties of the nurses concerned. I am, however, aware that certain local authorities have already made informal arrangements in regard to the matter and that one has made more formal arrangements. My sympathies are already known.
It is intended to propose in the near future to local authorities employing a certain minimum number of public health nurses that one should be designated the Supervisory Public Health Nurse and one of the duties which it is proposed to attach to such posts is that the holder will make suitable arrangements for off-duty periods in her area. This should expedite the making of reasonably satisfactory arrangements in all areas.