71 Mr. Browne (Carlow-Kilkenny) asked the Minister for Health and Children his response to the survey carried out by the Institute of Community Health Nursing showing that 90% of public health nurses oppose the recommendation of the Commission on Nursing that registration as a midwife should no longer be a mandatory requirement for entry into public health nursing. [5850/02]

I am aware of the survey carried out by the Institute of Community Health Nursing which showed that 89.5% of respondents favoured the retention of the midwifery qualification as a mandatory requirement for entry into public health nursing. However, I am also aware that the response rate for the survey was 35% and that the survey population was larger than the number of public health nurses currently working in the public health services.

My Department's chief nursing officer has written to the institute seeking a copy of the questionnaire and guidelines which were forwarded to public health nurses. The chief nursing officer has also asked for a critique of the research study and findings, or if no such critique is available, permission to have a critique of the study carried out in the Department of Health and Children. A reply is awaited.

I wish to take this opportunity to reiterate the Government's commitment to the full implementation of the recommendations of the Commission on Nursing. The commission recommended that: