Vol. 443 No. 3
152 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Health his views on whether the working conditions, hours and other conditions for nurses are in line with internationally accepted standards; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Extreme caution is required in drawing any international comparisons of this nature given the diversity of arrangements for providing health services, the variation in employment markets between different countries and, as a consequence, the variation in working conditions of health personnel, including nurses.
While this is the case, I understand that the Hospital Committee of the European Union in collaboration with the standing committee of nurses in the European Union and the European Public Services Committee have commissioned research into this area. I am informed that the preliminary, as yet unpublished, findings of this research indicate that nurse staffing levels in the Irish health services are comparable with those in other EU member states. The findings also suggest that in relation to pay levels, hours worked, leave entitlements and other conditions of employment, Irish nurses compare favourably with their counterparts in other EU member states. While any conclusions drawn must of course be tentative, this research does indicate that the employment conditions of Irish nurses are acceptable by international standards.
