Medical Staff.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 5 December 2006

Tuesday, 5 December 2006

Ceisteanna (299)

Bernard J. Durkan

Ceist:

325 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of doctors, nurses, surgeons and physicians who qualified here in each of the past eight years to date; the number who have come here from abroad in the same period; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41688/06]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health and Children (Ms Harney)

With regard to the number of doctors, surgeons and physicians who have qualified in Ireland, my colleague the Minister for Education and Science has provided me with the most up-to-date full year figures of numbers of persons who have qualified with a medical degree:

1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004
519	517	509	546	552	568	608	635

The Medical Council has provided me with the following numbers of doctors registered in Ireland from abroad:

	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005
EU	56	80	117	105	130	107	170	239
Non EU	109	52	128	331	573	442	423	649
Total	165	132	245	436	703	549	593	888

An Bord Altranais has provided me with the following numbers, available from 2000, of nurses from Ireland and abroad who have registered with the Board:

	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005*	2006
Ireland	935	1,466	1,219	1,333	1,459	155	1,228
EU	1,355	1,235	1,045	846	634	774	684
Non EU	635	2,290	1,720	737	1,033	2,143	2446

*The decrease in the number of nurses registering in 2005 is due to the introduction of the four year Nursing Degree Programme in 2002. The Nursing Diploma Programme was a three year programme with the final 2001 intake graduating in 2004. The 155 nurses registered in 2005 were repeat students from the nursing diploma programme. The increase in overseas nurses was a result of a recruitment drive undertaken in 2005 to ensure there was an adequate number of nurses during this transition period.