asked the Minister for Health if he will consider changing the regulation governing the permanent appointment of married women to nursing posts by local authorities.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Filling of Nursing Posts.
19.
A change in the present practice of excluding married women from permanent nursing appointments under local authorities would involve a major policy decision with widespread implications. I am aware that married nurses are being employed on a temporary basis by local authorities to meet staff shortages in some hospitals. The limited extent to which this happens would not justify a change of policy.
Married nurses who take these temporary appointments in local authority hospitals are performing a useful public service. Local authorities have been authorised to grant them increments for service on the salary scale.
Would the Minister have information at hand on the proportion of nurses who are married and are employed by local authorities?
That seems to be a separate Question, Deputy.
I am afraid I have not the exact information but 431 Dublin Health Authority posts are filled on a temporary basis and 299 of these depend on married women. Four per cent of local authority nursing posts are held by married women.
The Minister referred to increments which they are allowed to pay. Does he mean they are paying the same increments as if in fact the nurses had continued in service and had not got married?
That does not seem to arise.
Hitherto the salary paid was at the minimum of the scale but changes have been introduced recently and married nurses may now be granted increments on the salary scale. I cannot go further than that.
What the Minister means is that they start at a salary which is the same as if they were starting for the first time and they then get increments but they get no credit for previous service and this in fact is putting them in a position very inferior to that of unmarried people.
I am afraid that is the position at the moment.
Would the Minister not consider changing it? It would only take a regulation by him.
As the Deputy knows there have been improvements in the salaries and the increments of nurses as a whole and I could not make any commitment about further change. It is a matter for the nurses' organisation. There have been considerable improvements. I am not saying that nurses are paid according to the job they do perhaps in relation to some other occupations but nevertheless, as the Deputy knows, there have been improvements and the salary scales for in-living nurses are satisfactory when compared with those in Britain.
The Minister knows that taking a husband's income for income tax purposes into account, they are much better off in Britain.
That's in relation to married nurses.
20.
asked the Minister for Health how many health authorities have not yet adopted a scheme of giving increments in salaries to nurses in respect of previous post-graduate experience; if he will expedite the adoption of such schemes; if he will approve increases beyond five increments; and, if not, why.
Nine local Health Authorities have not, as yet, decided to grant incremental credit to generaltrained nurses in respect of previous post-graduate experience. My intimation that sanction would be forthcoming to the grant of such credit, up to a maximum of five increments, was designed to ease recruitment difficulties, where such existed, but it is a matter for health authorities to assess their own needs.
Present indications are that extension of the concession beyond five increments is not warranted, but I will keep the situation under review.
21.
asked the Minister for Health if he is aware that a high percentage of young girls who have good secondary school education are finding it impossible to get into centres for training for the nursing profession; and that many of them are forced to leave the country; and if he will take the necessary steps to provide training for them in Ireland.
The regulation of the intake of student nurses is primarily a matter for An Bord Altranais, the board set up under the Nurses Act, 1950. I understand that they are at present considering the various facets of this problem and I have asked the board to keep me informed of the position.
May I point out to the Minister that while all these things are being gone into hundreds and indeed thousands of young girls are leaving the land and are going into training centres in England which is a serious loss to the profession in this country and they are needed or will be needed here at a later date? Could the Minister take some urgent steps to prevent this state of affairs?
The vocation of nursing is one which is of very great significance in Ireland and I could not possibly guarantee that, even if we increased training facilities here, there would not be still a great number of girls going for training in England. As I said, we are considering the various facets of this problem and I have asked the board to keep me informed of the position. I cannot do more than that.
Would the Minister state whether he is aware of any shortage of nursing staff in hospitals and, if so, would he not consider having an investigation carried out into this to ascertain the number of nurses which would be required in our hospitals? Would he consider also placing great emphasis on the need for psychiatric nurses and suggesting to hospitals that they publicise this and perhaps attract a lot of young students into this profession?
We are examining the whole question of psychiatric treatment in this country and we are having meetings with the medical superintendents and those involved in the whole problem. There is a limited shortage of nurses in certain areas and in certain hospitals. I am not yet in a position to remember those by heart but there is an adequacy of nurses in a great many areas and in a great many hospitals. There is a limited shortage which relates, if I remember rightly, to hospitals for geriatric patients and perhaps one or two other hospitals around the country; but there is not a general shortage of nurses, as the Deputy knows.
Would the Minister not agree that some effort must be made? There is a considerable waiting list of young girls who are anxious to become nurses. Would it not be a very good idea for the Minister's Department to suggest to An Bord Altranais that they should encourage these girls to train in the particular centres or fields where there is a shortage?
I have said to the Deputy that we are in touch with the board and are awaiting a report from them.
How soon will it be available?
I could not say.