asked the Minister for Health the present position regarding the nurse training school attached to the new county hospital, Tralee, County Kerry; and if it will be in operation on the opening of the hospital.

2.

asked the Minister for Health if it is proposed to have a training school in the new general county hospital in Tralee, County Kerry, when it opens; the proposed annual intake of trainee nurses; and the number of tutor nurses to be employed.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 and 2 together.

An application for the approval of the hospital for the training of an annual intake of 25 student general nurses is under consideration by An Bord Altranais. In the meantime a group consisting of representatives of the Southern Health Board and my Department are identifying as a matter of urgency the nursing and other staff requirements, including the nurse teaching staff, necessary for the commissioning of the hospital. I am not in a position at this time to confirm that nurse training will commence with the opening of the hospital.

Is the Minister satisfied that there will be a nurse training school attached to the hospital?

Yes. Arising from the working party's report on general nursing it was suggested that there should be direct liaison between the Tralee hospital and the regional hospital in Wilton. There will be a nurse teaching staff complement in the Tralee school.

Will it be a separate unit from the Cork training centre?

In the context of having the best possible training in the health board area, it has been suggested that there should be a degree of liaison and integration between the Tralee hospital training school and the regional hospital in Cork. As such that would not diminish the general facilities in the proposed nurse training school in Tralee.

Is the Minister aware that the proposed intake of 25 trainee nurses per year is rather low? Will he arrange to increase this number? Can the Minister say when An Bord Altranais, his Department and the health board will agree on the number of tutor nurses to be employed? There is a relationship between the number of trainee nurses taken in and the number of tutor nurses employed. The people of Kerry are not satisfied with the intake of trainee nurses from Kerry by the Southern Health Board.

No speech, Deputy.

Will the Minister bear this in mind when setting up the training school? Kerry students get a raw deal from the Southern Health Board when applying for positions. The ratio between Cork and Kerry is 5:1 in favour of Cork.

The working party were adamant that training schools in the future should embrace a group of hospitals and institutions — general hospitals, psychiatric, mentally handicapped, community nursing services and so on. There will be a normal complement of teaching staff associated with the Tralee school. An application for formal approval of the facilities is being considered by An Bord Altranais.

Can the Minister indicate when the nursing school will open?

No final date has been agreed. The date of the hospital opening is January 1984. There are discussions under way between An Bord Altranais, the Southern Health Board and the Department of Health.

When they agree on a date will finance be available from the Department to ensure that the school opens?

Yes. I envisage the nursing school in Tralee as an integral part of the development. The hospital with 310 beds is due to open in January and we would like to complete the overall arrangement.