Nursing Staff Provision

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 20 March 2013

Wednesday, 20 March 2013

Questions (102)

Timmy Dooley

Question:

102. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Health if he is satisfied with the number of public health nurses currently employed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13840/13]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

The Government has decided that the numbers employed across the public service must be reduced to address public expenditure levels and meet its fiscal and budgetary targets. The health sector must make its contribution to that reduction. The primary aim is to cut the cost of services and not the services themselves. However, in 2013, Primary Care funding of €20 million nationally will be invested to support the recruitment of prioritised front-line primary care team posts and enhance the capacity of the primary care sector. The HSE's 2013 National Service Plan has identified approximately 250 Primary Care posts, including Public Health Nurses, Registered General Nurses, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists and Speech and Language Therapists, that will be filled using the Resource Allocation model, which is based on deprivation and need and was developed by the HSE's National Primary Care Office and Health Intelligence Unit. Using this model, the HSE has completed a detailed analysis of the numbers and distribution of the above health care professionals. The analysis revealed considerable variation across the 17 Integrated Service Areas in ratios of health care professionals to population, and to population numbers in areas of high deprivation. Based on this analysis, it proposed that of the approximately 250 posts, 70 Public Health Nurses and 37 Registered General Nurses will be recruited to Primary Care Teams. It is my firm intention, along with my colleague the Minister for Health, to have these posts filled as soon as possible in 2013. I am confident that these additional posts will have a positive impact on the ongoing development of services in the community, giving people direct access to integrated multidisciplinary teams of health professionals.