asked the Minister for Health whether he is aware that some hospitals appear to be exercising discrimination against Irish nurses trained in England by giving preference to nurses trained in Ireland; and whether he will investigate this matter with a view to ensuring equality of treatment.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Nursing Service Discrimination.
2.
I have no information which would support the suggestion contained in the question. If the Deputy will furnish me with evidence of discrimination of the kind referred to, I shall take the matter up with the health authority concerned.
Is the Minister not aware that very many girls have no option but to go to England for training as nurses because of the acute shortage of places in Irish hospitals and will he not take steps to remedy the position?
This is a much more complicated matter than is indicated by the Deputy. A number of Irish student nurses go to England to complete their training and some of them come back. Some of these go back to England but, so far as the health authorities are concerned, there are regulations which ensure that vacancies are published in regional newspapers and there is a selection board procedure. I have not had any complaints of this kind. I should need to have specific complaints to find out whether Irish based nurses are not having as good a chance of entering the service of health authority hospitals as those who make application from abroad.
(Cavan): The other way round.