asked the Minister for Health if he has received requests from a number of county managers for permission to increase nursing staff in psychiatric hospitals in order to reduce the working fortnight of the existing staff from 90 to 85 hours; and if, having regard to his expressed desire that the working fortnight should be reduced not later than the 1st January 1967 and to the fact that the nurses concerned have repeatedly complained about the delay in this matter, he will now give the requested sanction and enable the county managers to conform to his dateline.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Psychiatric Nursing Staffs.
8.
I have received proposals from local authorities to increase the nursing staff in the case of a number of psychiatric hospitals in order to reduce the working hours from 90 to 85 a fortnight. I have already approved the increases deemed necessary in these cases.