Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 5 Dec 2001

Vol. 545 No. 5

Written Answers. - Community Care Staff.

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

154 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Health and Children the extent to which staffing levels in the area of community care is adequate to meet requirements with particular reference to community welfare, public health nurses, speech therapists and social workers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31170/01]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin)

The availability of sufficient skilled and qualified personnel is clearly central to the adequate provision of quality health and social care services in the community. Where specific shortages of qualified staff exist at present, a number of initiatives have been undertaken to support recruitment and retention.

As part of my overall nursing and midwifery recruitment and retention strategy, I have introduced public health nurse specific initiatives, including payment of enhanced salary and college fees, in return for commitment from student public health nurses to work as public health nurses for at least two years following qualification with the sponsoring health board and the provision of 25 additional student places with effect from 2001-2.

A strategy for nursing and midwifery in the community is being developed under the auspices of the primary care strategy. It will address the deficits in the current system by providing a plan for the integration of nursing and midwifery services within primary care and build on the existing diversity of nursing and midwifery competencies currently provided by public health nurses, practice nurses, general nurses, midwives, community mental health nurses and others. The strategy will seek to maximise the use of nursing and midwifery competencies in the provision of a needs led, high quality and sustainable primary care service. The target date for publication of the strategy for nursing and midwifery in the community is the end of 2002.

In response to my concern regarding how current national and international shortages are affecting the provision of therapy services nationwide my Department commissioned a report from Dr. Peter Bacon and Associates on current and future supply and demand conditions in the labour market for certain professional therapists including speech and language therapists. The study, a comprehensive quantitative assessment of workforce requirements for qualified personnel in this area to 2015, was published in July last.

The report concludes that a major expansion is essential in the numbers of therapy professionals over the next 15 years, including a fourfold increase in speech and language therapists. This will require a significant increase in training places with a recommended annual increase of 75 course places for speech and language therapy. I am working closely with my colleague the Minister for Education and Science to ensure the rapid provision of the additional places as an urgent priority.

Following publication in June 2000 of the report by the national social work qualifications board entitled, Social Work Posts in Ireland, officials of my Department along with officials from the Department of Education and Science and the Higher Education Authority agreed that additional training places in social work were required. A number of extra places have been provided this year and further increases are planned for next year.

In relation to community welfare services, the number of community welfare officers employed by health boards is maintained at an adequate level to provide for the effective delivery of services. In this respect, additional officers have been recruited to deal with the increased workload arising from increased numbers of refugees and asylum seekers in recent years.