Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 23 Nov 1999

Vol. 511 No. 3

Written Answers. - Public Health Nurses.

Tom Enright

Question:

215 Mr. Enright asked the Minister for Health and Children if his Department sanctions and approves public health nurse training by health boards; and if this training can be provided for nurses on the initiative of the individual health board itself. [24271/99]

Tom Enright

Question:

216 Mr. Enright asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of health boards which have provided sponsorship for public health nurse training in each of the past five years; the number of trainee public health nurses who have commenced such training and the numbers who have qualified; his views on whether it should be obligatory on health boards to undertake such sponsorship to encourage nurses to under take this training; and if nurses undertaking such training are re-imbursed for the cost. [24272/99]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Cowen)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 215 and 216 together.

Funding available for continuing post registration education of nurses is allocated to the relevant health agencies. In 1999 some £8.5 million will be spent on continuing nurse education. It is a matter for the agencies themselves to decide on the most effective use of these funds, having due regard to the educational needs of the nursing staff and the nature of the services in which they are involved. I do not have a separate fund at my disposal from which financial assistance could be given to supplement any sponsorship nurses might be in receipt of from the health agencies.

A survey was conducted last year by my Department on the issue of sponsorship. All health boards, except for the Midland, sponsor students. The amount of sponsorship varies from health board to health board. My Department does not have any figures on the amount of nurses who have qualified. The following table sets out the total number of nurses who have received public health nurse sponsorship since 1995/96:

1995-96	1996-97	1997-98	1998-99
41	45	37	30

Large numbers of health service personnel apply each year for third level courses, and as the Deputy will appreciate, it is simply not possible to provide financial support to every applicant. I understand, however, that students pursuing the Diploma in Public Health Nursing at the National University of Ireland, Cork and the National University of Ireland, Dublin, who are not in receipt of sponsorship from a health board may apply to their local authority for a means tested fees and maintenance grant under the terms of the higher education grants scheme.

One of the recommendations in the report of Commission on Nursing is the setting up of nursing and midwifery planning and development units. In relation to continuing education, the commission recommended that these units would have responsibility for overseeing the detailed provision of continuing nursing and midwifery education within a health board area. Fees in respect of post-registration courses or bursaries to support students on post-registration courses, would be paid by the units according to the guidelines laid down by the National Council for the Professional Development in Nursing and Midwifery.

I plan to establish the national council before the end of this month. Funding has already been provided to the health boards to allow for the establishment of the nursing and midwifery planning and development units.

The Deputy may also wish to note that, as part of the recent settlement with nurses, agreement was reached on a structured programme for the phased implementation of the Commission's report. One of the priority areas for attention under that programme is the "Introduction of uniform criteria in relation to the provision of financial support to nurses or midwives undertaking post-registration education courses, in order to ensure equity."

Tom Enright

Question:

217 Mr. Enright asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of health boards which advertised for public health nurses in journals or newspapers outside the country in the past five years. [24273/99]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Cowen)

The information the Deputy requests is not readily available in my Department. However, I have made arrangements to have the information collected and forwarded directly to the Deputy.