Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 29 Jan 1998

Vol. 486 No. 2

Written Answers. - Nursing Studies.

Alan Shatter

Ceist:

123 Mr. Shatter asked the Minister for Health and Children the reason for the delay in publishing the details of the procedure applicable to application by students who wish to undertake nursing courses in the next academic year after completion of this year's leaving certificate examination; if he will give details of the applicable procedure; and if he will undertake the necessary arrangements to exempt from the payment of university fees the one year nursing undergraduate degree course which may be undertaken by nurses who have obtained a nursing certificate or diploma. [2262/98]

Eamon Gilmore

Ceist:

124 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will abolish the fees for students of the Bachelor of Nursing degree course due to commence in January 1998 in view of the fact they will be the only day undergraduates in the country paying fees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21621/97]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Cowen)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 123 and 124 together.

There has been no delay in publishing details of arrangements for this year's intake of student nurses to the nursing registration/diploma programmes. The 1996 and 1997 competitions for places on the programmes were advertised in the months of March and April respectively. This year the competitions for the general nursing and psychiatric programmes will be advertised on 19 February.

Earlier this week I announced details of the application and selection process for this year's competitions in order to give students and their parents, guidance counsellors, schools of nursing, third level institutions and other interested parties advance notice of the arrangements. I have also arranged for batches of application forms and information booklets to be sent to school guidance counsellors before the advertisement for the competitions is published. In addition, the various schools of nursing have been asked to nominate contact persons who will be available to liaise with schools in relation to student nurse recruitment and to assist in the organisation of career talks for students. These initiatives are designed to stimulate interest among school leavers in nursing as a career and to make them aware of the procedures for entry to training.

The application and selection processes for both the general nursing and psychiatric nursing programmes will be administered by the Local Appointments Commission on behalf of the Nursing Applications Centre. Applicants for these two programmes will undergo a written assessment test of two to three hours duration on 27 or 30 June 1998. Those placed highest will be called for interview. The interviews will be held during the final week of July and the first two weeks of August 1998. The first round of offers of places to successful applicants will be issued within one week of the publication of the results of the leaving certificate.

The application and selection process for places on the 1998 mental handicap nursing registration/diploma programme will be handled by the Mental Handicap Nursing Applications Centre. This centre has been in existence since 1991 and operates under the auspices of the Federation of Voluntary Bodies providing Services for People with a Mental Handicap. This particular competition will be advertised on 19 April 1998. The detailed arrangements will be publicised in advance of that date.

I presume Deputy Gilmore is referring to the one year full-time degree course which University College Galway is offering to students who have successfully completed the first general nursing registration/diploma programme which was introduced in 1994.

The position is that successful completion by a student of the three year nursing registration/diploma programme leads to registration as a nurse with An Bord Altranais, at which point he or she becomes eligible for employment as a nurse. Since a degree in nursing is not a requirement for registration as a nurse and subsequent employment, such a qualification would be an optional post-registration qualification. Members of the nursing profession wishing to undertake a nursing degree programme are, therefore, responsible for making their own arrangements, including the payment of course fees. I am not in a position to provide funding for these courses nor have I any function in relation to abolition of, or exemptions from, the fees charged by third level institutions in respect of them.

The Commission on Nursing in its interim report has identified a number of issues relating to pre-registration nursing education and training, which it is expected to address in its final report. I consider that it would be prudent to await the outcome of the deliberations of the commission before contemplating any changes in the present arrangements, which are in compliance with the rules of An Bord Altranais and the relevant EU Directives.