asked the Minister for Health the ratio of public health nurses to population in Ireland.
25.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Public Health Nurses.
24.
asked the Minister for Health the ratio of public health nurses to population in each county.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 24 and 25 together. There is at present one post of public health nurse per 3,050 people approximately. Information on the ratio of nurses to population in each county is not available as nurses are now recruited centrally by health boards and assigned to community care areas, which are not in all cases coterminous with county areas.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to provide the information on the basis of community care areas, in the form of a table to be circulated with the Official Report.
Following is the table:
|
Health Board |
Community Care Area |
Number of Public Health Nurse posts |
Estimated Pop. 1975* |
Nurse Population ratio |
|
One Nurse to: |
||||
|
Eastern |
Dublin: |
|||
|
1. Dun Laoghaire/S.E. County |
21 |
112,000 |
5,333 |
|
|
2. City Centre S.E. Rathmines |
25 |
135,000 |
5,400 |
|
|
3. City Centre S.W. Terenure |
17 |
100,500 |
5,912 |
|
|
4. Crumlin/Tallaght |
23 |
113,000 |
4,913 |
|
|
5. Dublin W./Ballyfermot |
23 |
82,500 |
3,587 |
|
|
6. City Centre N.W./ Finglas |
26 |
133,000 |
5,115 |
|
|
7. City Centre N./ Clontarf |
30 |
127,000 |
4,233 |
|
|
8. City Centre N.E./N. County |
40 |
117,000 |
2,925 |
|
|
Others (Headquarter Duties) |
18 |
|||
|
Kildare: |
27 |
75,000 |
2,778 |
|
|
Wicklow: |
19 |
70,000 |
3,684 |
|
|
Total |
269 |
1,065,000 |
3,959 |
|
|
Midland |
Laois/Offaly |
39 |
97,088 |
2,489 |
|
Longford/Westmeath |
34 |
81,820 |
2,406 |
|
|
Total |
73 |
178,908 |
2,451 |
|
|
Mid-Western |
Clare |
29 |
75,000 |
2,586 |
|
Limerick |
36 |
102,000 |
2,833 |
|
|
Tipperary N. |
36 |
92,000 |
2,556 |
|
|
Total |
101 |
269,000 |
2,663 |
|
|
North-Eastern |
Cavan/Monaghan |
43 |
88,868 |
2,067 |
|
Louth |
31 |
96,849 |
3,124 |
|
|
Meath |
29 |
59,823 |
2,063 |
|
|
Total |
103 |
245,540 |
2,384 |
|
|
North-Western |
Donegal |
61 |
99,233 |
1,627 |
|
Sligo/Leitrim |
37 |
87,746 |
2,372 |
|
|
Total |
98 |
186,979 |
1,908 |
|
|
South-Eastern |
Carlow/Kilkenny |
36 |
84,414 |
2,345 |
|
Tipperary S. |
29 |
80,704 |
2,556 |
|
|
Waterford |
33 |
85,892 |
2,446 |
|
|
Wexford |
34 |
74,122 |
2,526 |
|
|
Total |
132 |
325,132 |
2,463 |
|
|
Southern |
North Cork |
21 |
69,816 |
3,325 |
|
West Cork |
19 |
48,173 |
2,335 |
|
|
South Cork (1) |
27 |
120,000 |
4,444 |
|
|
South Cork (2) |
27 |
120,000 |
4,444 |
|
|
Kerry |
38 |
112,772 |
2,968 |
|
|
Total |
132 |
470,761 |
3,566 |
|
|
Western |
Galway |
66 |
111,921 |
1,696 |
|
Mayo |
47 |
111,709 |
2,377 |
|
|
Roscommon |
24 |
88,637 |
3,693 |
|
|
Total |
137 |
312,267 |
2,279 |
|
|
State |
1,045 |
3,053,587 |
2,922* |
*Community Care areas were established in 1975 and the population figures above refer to the estimated population of each area at that time. The latest estimated population (April 1977) is 3,192,000 but it is not possible to assign the increase in population between community care areas. On the basis of total population of 3,192,000 the nurse/population ratio is now one nurse to 3,050 people approximately.