asked the Minister for Health if he will consider eliminating overtime for psychiatric nurses at Our Lady's Hospital, Ennis, County Clare, which will necessitate further recruitment of nursing personnel and a consequent increase in employment.
Written Answers. - County Clare Hospital Staff.
518.
The provision of nursing staff at Our Lady's Hospital, Ennis, is a matter for the Mid-Western Health Board in the first instance. I understand that the board is in consultation with the staff organisations regarding the filling of a number of existing permanent posts in the hospital. The filling of these posts would reduce the incidence of overtime.
The board has also carried out an examination of the staffing levels at the hospital and is considering proposals for the revision of existing staffing levels so as to eliminate overtime. I might mention that since 1975 31 additional nursing posts have been approved by my Department for this hospital and, as I indicated in an earlier answer to the Deputy on Tuesday, 9 December 1980 (Official Report, Vol. 325, Col. 633 - 635) 11 of these were for the specific purpose of eliminating overtime.