Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 8 Oct 1998

Vol. 494 No. 6

Written Answers. - Commission on Nursing.

Pat Rabbitte

Question:

20 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Minister for Health and Children the Government's proposals for implementation of the report of the Commission on Nursing; the plans, if any, the Government has to deal with the recommendations of the commission relating to pay matters; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18846/98]

Paul Bradford

Question:

33 Mr. Bradford asked the Minister for Health and Children the proposals, if any, he has to implement the report of the Commission on Nursing. [18863/98]

Theresa Ahearn

Question:

38 Mrs. T. Ahearn asked the Minister for Health and Children the proposals, if any, he has to implement the report of the Commission on Nursing. [18861/98]

Monica Barnes

Question:

47 Mrs. Barnes asked the Minister for Health and Children the proposals, if any, he has to implement the report of the Commission on Nursing. [18862/98]

Ivor Callely

Question:

93 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Health and Children the time schedule for implementation of the recommendations of the Commission on Nursing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18982/98]

Alan Shatter

Question:

94 Mr. Shatter asked the Minister for Health and Children the proposals, if any, he has for implementing the report of the Commission of Nursing. [18983/98]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Cowen)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 20, 33, 38, 47, 93 and 94 together.

As the Deputies will be aware, I received the report of the Commission on Nursing on 16 September last.

The aim of the report of the Commission on Nursing, A Blueprint for the Future, is to develop the profession of nursing. Its recommendations are designed to free the profession from controls, practices and attitudes that have held nursing and midwifery in check, and which have prevented it achieving its full potential in the health services and in society.

I am fully committed to the commission's vision for enhancing the role of nurses and midwives, and I welcome the blueprint for the development of the profession. I want to assure the House that the commission's report will be acted upon. This is a very important report, which has been compiled following a most comprehensive examination of the issues of concern to the profession and the most extensive consultation process ever undertaken in the area of nursing.

As many of you will be aware, at the launch of the report I announced details of the specific measures I am taking as an immediate response to the commission's report. I would like to take this opportunity to reiterate my commitment to bringing about the fundamental institutional and structural reforms recommended by the commission. I emphasise that the implementation of the report will be done on a partnership basis. Accordingly, I will be issuing invitations to the trade unions to work with my Department, the Health Services Employers Agency and the health boards and voluntary agencies on the implementation of this report on an ongoing basis over a period of years. The actual implementation process will of necessity take several years to complete and a huge amount of work will have to be carried out if all of the 200 recommendations are to be implemented in a streamlined and effective manner. The commission itself was critical of the haste with which the pre-registration diploma programme was put in place and has signalled that any further developments should be carried out over a period of years to ensure that any new programmes are put in place with the minimum of disruption. This is the first occasion on which the implementation of a major report like this is being dealt with by way of a partnership model. I am sure that the good will necessary from all sides will be forthcoming to ensure that this type of implementation process will come to be regarded as a new and better way of doing things in Ireland.

At the launch of the report, I gave a commitment to immediately introduce six measures in response to the commission's recommendations. These six measures are as follows: the introduction of new legislation to amend the Nurses Act, 1985; the establishment of a representative forum to prepare the ground for moving pre-registration nursing education and training to a four-year degree programme in time for the 2002 intake of nursing students; the establishment of a National Council for the Professional Development of Nursing and Midwifery; the establishment of a nursing and midwifery planning and development unit in each of the eight health boards; the strengthening of the nursing policy division in the Department of Health and Children through the appointment of additional nursing staff on a contract basis; and the greater involvement of nurses in the management of the health services.

As regards the recommendations of the commission relating to pay matters, the position is that health services management have been invited to attend the Labour Court on Wednesday, 28 October 1998 and I can confirm that they will be in attendance.

I am most anxious that the report of the Commission on Nursing be read by all nurses and midwives throughout the country. It is crucially important that they fully understand the context in which the commission reached its conclusions, and the impact that the implementation of its recommendations will have on the future direction of their profession and the development of their role in the health services. The commission's report is all about tackling the underlying problems affecting the profession, rather than just the symptoms of those problems. With the objective of ensuring that the general body of nurses and midwives is given an opportunity to study the commission's report, I have arranged for a copy of the report along with a copy of my address to the Commission on Nursing outlining my programme of action for the implementation of its report, to be sent to every practising nurse and midwife in the public health sector. I understand that delivery of the reports from the printers is scheduled to begin in a few days time.