Michael Ring
Ceist:567 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Health and Children if the payment for the clinical placements of Filipino nurses will be retrospective; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1234/01]
Written Answers. - Nursing Staff.
I have made funding available to the Health Service Employers Agency to employ a nurse manager to co-ordinate the provision of supervised clinical placements for nurses recruited from abroad. Nurses from the Philippines and certain other non-EU countries are required to undertake such placements prior to registration with An Bord Altranais.
The recruitment of nurses from abroad is helping to ease staffing difficulties across a range of health care settings. However, some problems have arisen in relation to the availability of supervised clinical placements. I am determined that nurses requiring such placements will be provided with them. The Health Service Employers Agency co-ordinator will have a nationwide remit in ensuring the availability of sufficient clinical placements.
I am prepared to provide funding to teaching hospitals involved in the provision of supervised clinical placements in respect of the salary of a clinical co-ordinator for the duration of such placements. My Department is currently in discussion with the Dublin academic teaching hospitals in relation to their specific requirements in this regard, and it is also in contact with a number of major teaching hospitals outside Dublin. Since the salary of a clinical placement co-ordinator is the biggest single cost element, the availability of funding to cover it will greatly reduce the overall cost to agencies, such as nursing homes, which are recruiting nurses from non-EU countries.
However, other costs associated with these placements, including vaccinations and meals, are a matter for negotiation between the individual hospital and prospective employer concerned. I am not in a position to provide funding on a retrospective basis to cover the salaries of clinical placement co-ordinators who have already undertaken work in relation to supervised placements for nurses recruited from abroad.