Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 29 May 2001

Vol. 537 No. 2

Written Answers. - Health Board Staff.

Seymour Crawford

Ceist:

236 Mr. Crawford asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of nurses employed in each health board area in December 1997; the number who are now employed; the number of administrators and administration staff who were employed by each health board in December 1997; the number who are now employed; if he has satisfied himself that there are sufficient nurses to serve front line needs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15810/01]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin)

The whole-time equivalent number of nurses and administrative staff employed in the public health services at 31 December 1997 and 2000 are detailed below. It should be noted that figures in respect of 31 December 2000 are provisional. It should be further noted that the grade category of management/administrative also includes staff who are of direct service to patients, such as consultants' secretaries, out-patient department personnel, ward clerks, medical records personnel and telephonists who are engaged in front line duties.

Heath Board Area	Management/admin	Nursing	Management/admin	Nursing
	1997	1997	2000	2000
Eastern	3,796	11,082	5,245	11,425
Midland	383	1,356	551	1,481
Mid-Western	648	2,126	982	2,393
North-Eastern	568	1,849	876	1,906
North-Western	629	1,669	927	1,791
South-Eastern	727	2,580	1,033	2,917
Southern	1,153	3,924	1,501	4,171
Western	889	2,839	1,221	3,207
Total	8,794	27,426	12,338	29,290

Note: All figures are expressed as whole-time equivalents.

Source: Personnel Census Department of Health and Children.

The December 2000 figure of 29,290 whole-time equivalent nursing staff represents 33,597 individuals due to the very significant numbers who have opted to work in job-sharing or part-time arrangements. In addition, significant resources have been invested to facilitate general practitioners in employing practice nurses in their surgeries. There are now some 600 nurses working in this area of the health service.

The Health Service Employers Agency, HSEA, undertook a survey of nursing vacancies at 31 January 2001. A copy of this survey will be forwarded directly to the Deputy. The total number of nursing vacancies reported was 1,315. When account is taken of the service of agency nurses, 423 per day, and overtime working, equivalent to 592 nurses per day, the net vacancy situation pertaining at 31 January 2001 stands at 300. The gross number of vacancies reported for the Eastern Regional Health Authority region, excluding the learning disability sector, was 1,148.79.

The survey shows that a total of 4,226 nurses were recruited in the year ending 31 January 2001 and that a total of 2,954 resigned/retired in the same period. Accordingly, the recruitment of nurses continues to run strongly ahead of the numbers leaving with a net increase of 1,272 nurses in the system. The number of nursing vacancies existing nationally on 30 September 2000 had fallen by 5% by 31 January 2001.

The ongoing recruitment of nurses from abroad is also impacting positively on the vacancy situation. A total of 1,224 working visas/work authorisations were issued to nurses from non-EU countries between June 2000 and April 2001. A number of hospitals in the Dublin area are reporting significant improvements in their position. For example, Beaumont Hospital, which at one stage last year was short 130 nurses, now has a full complement of nursing staff. The Mater Hospital is on target to reduce its vacancies to a low single figure by the end of next month.

In response to the current shortage of nurses, I increased the number of training places last year by 300 from 1,200 to 1,500. This year a further 40 additional places have been created. It is intended to maintain the annual intakes of nursing students at this level in order to ensure an adequate supply of nurses for our health service into the future.