(Cavan-Monaghan) asked the Minister for Health if he will make a statement on the desirability of establishing a faculty of nursing in an appropriate third-level institution.

A faculty of nursing is already in existence in the Royal College of Surgeons, Dublin. The faculty is concerned with post-registration training and development of nurses.

A working party which considered all aspects of general nursing have recommended the development of a university degree course for a limited number of registered nurses. This will be considered in my Department in conjunction with the other recommendations in the working party's report when the views of various interested bodies have been received. In the event of a university degree course being introduced I would expect it to lead to a university-based faculty of nursing.

(Cavan-Monaghan): Would the Minister not agree that there is a widespread demand for a university-based faculty of nursing, that there is a particular demand in University College, Galway, for such a faculty and there appears to be sufficient personnel there to cater for it? Would the Minister use his influence to promote such a faculty in University College, Galway?

The whole question will be considered in the context of all the recommendations of the working party which is at present under consideration. I will bear the Deputy's point in mind.

(Cavan-Monaghan): I am obliged to the Minister for that assurance. Could he say when a decision will be taken on the report?

As soon as the views come back to my Department.

(Cavan-Monaghan): Could the Minister give me any idea what the time schedule is?

The report was circulated last October to the various interested bodies. An Bord Altranais, the health boards, the voluntary hospitals, the staff associations, the HEA, relevant Government Departments and other bodies, for their views. The views have not been received as yet so I cannot give any definitive answer. I will ask them to hurry up with their views.

(Cavan-Monaghan): Is the Minister aware that An Bord Altranais are very much in favour of a university-based nursing faculty?

I am aware that they are in favour of it.

(Cavan-Monaghan): That should bear very favourably with the Minister.

It is a matter for discussion.

16.

(Cavan-Monaghan): asked the Minister for Health the incentives, if any, that are available by way of extra remuneration to encourage members of the nursing profession to acquire extra qualifications.

Registered general nurses who hold qualifications in the following:

Midwifery

Paediatrics

Fever

Tuberculosis

Mental Handicap

Orthopaedics

are paid an allowance of £135 per annum in addition to their standard salary when engaged on duties appropriate to the additional qualifications.

A nurse who holds both the general and psychiatric nurse qualifications is paid a special dual qualified salary scale when employed in a psychiatric hospital or in a psychiatric unit of a general hospital. This scale is approximately £270 higher at the maximum than the maximum of the basic scale of a registered general staff nurse.

(Cavan-Monaghan): Does the Minister agree that the difficulty is that nurses are not remunerated for having those extra qualifications unless they are engaged in work appropriate to the qualificatins? Is that not the position?

I believe this is probably the position,

(Cavan-Monaghan): Does the Minister not think that as an incentive to nurses to acquire those qualifications they should automatically lead to higher salaries when those nurses are employed in the public service?

Yes, when employed on appropriate work. As the Deputy must know there are approximately 23,000 nurses and consequently the rates would have to relate to the particular areas of specialisation and the use of the qualifications within those areas.

(Cavan-Monaghan): Would the Minister not agree that paying them an extra allowance when employed in the appropriate work is not an incentive to nurses to acquire those qualifications? The result could be that in the long term there could be a scarcity of nurses with those qualifications unless an incentive is given to them to acquire them?

There is an incentive to undertake studies in those particular areas. I am sure if there are areas where there is a particular deficiency that could be dealt with separately. Normally, if a person is interested in developing in another area, that is an incentive. There is an allowance for nurses in those areas on top of their standard salary scale to give them an opportunity to acquire those additional qualifications.

We must move on to the next question.

(Cavan-Monaghan): Will the Minister have another look at this matter?

I have called the next question and we must move on.

17.

(Cavan-Monaghan) asked the Minister for Health if he is aware that a practice has developed in some health boards of employing nurses in a temporary capacity over a number of years, and in some cases many years, on the basis of first year salaries; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

It is not the practice of health boards to employ nurses in a long-term temporary capacity. Where possible all posts are filled on a permanent basis. Where temporary appointments are necessary they are usually made for a short-term only.

However, I am aware that some health boards have a number of nurses in long-term temporary employment who, in accordance with normal practice, are remunerated at the first point of the relevant salary scales. Discussions with the staff associations concerning the position of these nurses have been held under the auspices of the Local Government Staff Negotiations Board. It is hoped to give existing long-term temporary nursing staff a special opportunity of competing for permanent appointment and to eliminate any future need for long-term temporary appointments.

(Cavan-Monaghan): I take it that the Minister is agreeing that there are cases where nurses are employed on a temporary basis for a long time? Does the Minister agree that some of those temporary appointments go on for up to 15 years and that during that time the nurses are remunerated on the basis of the first point on the salary scale? Does he agree that that is unjust, to put it bluntly?

It is on that basis that discussions were held with the appropriate board to try to regularise the position.

(Cavan-Monaghan): Is anything being done about this?

Discussions are at an advanced stage.

(Cavan-Monaghan): Will something tangible result?

Tangible results have come from the discussions and they will, hopefully, lead to a solution of the problem.