The first point of the general staff nurse scale for nurses employed after 1 January 2011 is €27,211. However, the cost of hiring a nurse full time would be greater than this when employers' PRSI and premium payments are factored in. At 31 December 2012 there were 34,637 WTEs employed in the nursing staff category in the health service. This figure includes categories such as public health nurses as well as nursing management staff.
The Government has decided that the numbers employed across the public service must be reduced in order to meet its fiscal and budgetary targets. The health sector must make its contribution to that reduction. This policy requires that by the end of 2013, the health service achieves a work force of 98,955 whole-time equivalents (WTEs). This figure is not broken down by staff category. The HSE may continue to recruit nurses and midwives in exceptional circumstances where it has been established that there is an urgent service requirement and this can be accommodated within the budgetary and staff number limits in place. Such recruitment is separate to and independent of the Graduate Employment Initiative recently launched. Nursing staff appointed under that scheme will not be counted for the purposes of the health Employment Control Framework. I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy in relation to the more detailed aspects of the question.
