Hospital Staff Issues

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 16 January 2013

Wednesday, 16 January 2013

Questions (1028, 1045, 1049, 1055, 1064, 1069, 1083, 1093, 1095, 1108)

Billy Timmins

Question:

1028. Deputy Billy Timmins asked the Minister for Health his views on correspondence regarding new nurse graduates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1179/13]

Eric J. Byrne

Question:

1045. Deputy Eric Byrne asked the Minister for Health his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding the recruitment of 1,000 new graduate by the Health Service Executive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1265/13]

Billy Kelleher

Question:

1049. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the estimated saving for replacing 1,000 agency nurses/midwives with newly qualified nurses/midwives on 80% of the pay scale; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1313/13]

Jack Wall

Question:

1055. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for Health his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding nurses pay; the plans he has or is proposing to overcome the grave concerns expressed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1364/13]

Terence Flanagan

Question:

1064. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Health his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding plans to employ newly qualified nurses on a reduced salary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1431/13]

Michael Healy-Rae

Question:

1069. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health with regard to the recent announcement by his Department to recruit 1,000 new graduates at 80% of the proper starting salary, the way in which it can be deemed to be fair or equitable that people would be asked to do the same work as their colleagues but at a different salary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1491/13]

Tom Fleming

Question:

1083. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Health if he will engage with unions representing nurses and midwives to explore ways of achieving significant savings in the Health Service Executive agency spend without imposing a further salary reduction of 20% on this year's newly qualified graduates; his views on whether the engagement of nurses and midwives through agencies is on average 30% more expensive than direct employment; his further views on whether the HSE could save up to €23 million if they directly converted currently employed agency staff into direct employment and if they employed the newly qualified graduates on the correct salary scale of €27,211, then the HSE would save 54% of their current costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1611/13]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

Question:

1093. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health if he will provide the details of the proposal to recruit some 1,000 nurses and midwives at reduced rates of pay as part of the graduate placement programme; if due consideration has been given to the displacement of agency staff, temporary staff and others, including those who are currently on recruitment panels or awaiting full-time posts; the implications of this proposal for this group; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1702/13]

Finian McGrath

Question:

1095. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Health if he will end the proposed reduced salary for newly qualified nurses and midwives as it will create apartheid in our health service. [1710/13]

Clare Daly

Question:

1108. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health with the announcement by the Health Service Executive that 1,000 nurses and midwives are to be given two year contracts to replace agency staff, the reason these positions are only open to new graduates and not staff already on the panel. [1824/13]

Written answers

Minister for Health

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1028, 1045, 1049, 1055, 1064, 1069, 1083, 1093, 1095 and 1108 together.

In the context of the unprecedented challenges faced by the country in sustaining our public health services, including the ongoing requirement to achieve reductions in staff numbers, the Graduate Employment Initiative will support the retention of recently-qualified graduate nurses and midwives within the Irish health system and enable them to gain valuable work experience and development opportunities post-graduation. Under the Initiative, up to 1,000 graduate nurses will be recruited on two-year contracts and will be paid 80% of the first point of the Staff Nurse Scale. They will also qualify for premium payments and allowances on a pro rata basis, bringing expected average pay to approximately €25,000 per year, excluding overtime. The Initiative will also facilitate a reduction in the use of nurse agency staffing and overtime to provide services.

The salary payable has been set on the basis that staff appointed under this initiative will be outside the scope of the Health Sector Employment Control Framework. Given the requirement to achieve reductions in staff numbers in the health sector and to maximise savings, it is not possible at present, other than in very limited circumstances, to offer permanent staff nurse positions. For the same reasons it is not possible for the HSE to simply to convert posts currently filled by agency staff to permanent positions.

The Initiative will include formal professional development elements, the details of which are being finalised at present. Participants will also have access to a variety of care settings while gaining clinical experience.

This scheme represents an opportunity for a substantial number of recently-qualified nurses to work in Ireland for a two-year period at a time when job opportunities in the public service are, regrettably, very limited. While in the first instance positions are open to 2012 graduates, the scheme may be extended to other cohorts of qualified nurses on a phased basis.