asked the Minister for Health his policy in regard to the employment in Irish hospitals of nurses with State-enrolled training; if he will outline the differences between this standard of training and that obtained by nurses in Ireland; if he has any estimate as to the number of Irish nurses with the State-enrolled qualification; and if he has a plan to make greater use of the skills of Irish nurses who have the State-enrolled qualification in the Irish health service.

I should explain that in the United Kingdom there are State-enrolled nurses who have completed a two-year training course and State-registered nurses who have followed a three-year training course. In this country, we do not train State-enrolled nurses and the qualification is not recognised for general nursing appointments.

The education and training of nurses is a matter for An Bord Altranais who have statutory functions in this field. The board have considered the training and registration of State-enrolled nurses here on a number of occasions but are not in favour of its introduction. In addition, the Working Party on General Nursing have expressed the view that a second level of nurse is not warranted in our present circumstances and this view is generally accepted.

Although the grade of State-enrolled nurse is not a recognised grade for general nursing appointments in this country, I understand that some persons who have acquired this qualification in the United Kingdom have been employed in hospitals as ward attendants.

The number of persons so employed who have this qualification is about 200. There may be others, not employed in the health services, of whom we are not aware.

Would the Minister not agree that some arrangement should be made to allow for the availing of the skills of these people, skills which admittedly may not be on the same level as those of State-registered nurses, and that it is a shame that many State-enrolled nurses of Irish birth and education are not in a position to obtain employment in their native land?

In the first instance this is a matter for An Bord Altranais and I will convey to them the Deputy's remarks.

Has the Minister not got some responsibility in this matter? It is not sufficient for him simply to evade responsibility by passing the matter almost entirely to An Bord Altranais. After all, he pays the salaries of most of the nurses.

We have just completed a major working party report on nursing in Ireland, a report that involved all the bodies and people concerned and generally these various people were not in favour of introducing the category in question. Notwithstanding that, though, I am prepared to ask the board for their views.

Does the Minister consider that the employment of these nurses as ward attendants represents the full use of the skills they have and, if not, does he not consider that something should be done to change that situation? Further, would he indicate why State-enrolled nurses are not recognised here? What is wrong with their skills?

As I have said, the question of their skills and their registration qualifications is a matter in the first instance for An Bord Altranais. There is a surfeit of nurses here as the Deputy will be aware, having been Minister for Finance. If there is to be a function performed by introducing a further category that is a matter which the Board would have to consider.

Is the Minister aware of the difficulties being experienced by Irish nurses in obtaining employment outside the country as a result, apparently, of some alleged deficiency with regard to their training or their career qualifications?

That is a separate question.

There is a later question down in that regard.