Kevin Humphreys
Question:568. Deputy Kevin Humphreys asked the Minister for Health the steps he is taking to reduce the number of Irish health care professionals emigrating; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53913/13]
View answerTuesday, 17 December 2013
Questions (568)
Written answers
It should be borne in mind that there is a global demand for well-trained Irish medical staff, and that they are a mobile workforce. A range of factors including: opportunities to gain further experience, specialist training, levels of pay available, working conditions, and other economic and social conditions in different countries also influence trends in migration.
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. The HSE may, however, continue to recruit front-line staff in 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.
Notwithstanding the need to reduce numbers employed in the public service, the Government is, however, wholly committed to the provision of training, work-experience and employment opportunities where possible. Hence, for example. the decision to implement a Nurse Graduate Initiative. This Initiative enables the health services to offer 1,000 graduate nurses positions for two years, at a time when job opportunities in the public service are very limited. The Initiative therefore supports the retention of recently qualified graduate nurses and midwives within the Irish health system, and enables them to gain valuable work experience and development opportunities post-graduation. To date 256 staff nurse/midwife graduates have commenced employment nationally.
I also want to ensure that NCHDs are offered a rewarding and satisfying career here in Ireland. In July this year, I set up a Working Group chaired by Professor Brian MacCraith, President of DCU. This Group will carry out a strategic review of the medical training and career structure of NCHDs. The terms of reference of the review include making recommendations aimed at improving graduate retention in the public health system; planning for future service needs; and realising maximum benefit from investment in medical education and training.
The Group submitted its interim report to me last week, and it will be published shortly. The Group is now moving to stage two of its work, with a view to submitting its final report to me by the end of June 2014.
I am determined that as part of the overall health reform programme we build a public health system that values the contribution and commitment of all health professionals. With regard to trainee doctors, I note that the agreement reached between the HSE and the IMO at the LRC in October, on addressing working hours and achieving EWTD compliance, specifically encompassed doctor recruitment and retention. It reaffirms the commitment in the Haddington Road Agreement to reviewing the current career structure from Intern to Consultant/Specialist level, with the aim of further developing career and training pathways for all grades of NCHD to Consultant/Specialist level. The objective is the retention of graduates of Irish Medical Schools within the public health system, and the attraction back to Ireland of such graduates where they have previously emigrated.