Recruitment of newly qualified nurses
Deputy Connolly says newly qualified nurses and midwives cannot secure jobs despite ongoing staffing shortages and reliance on overseas recruitment; the Tánaiste agrees that frontline health graduates should receive priority in HSE recruitment.
I raise an issue that has been touched on already here today and was raised by my colleague, Deputy McGrath, yesterday as it relates to Cork.
A number of newly qualified nurses and midwives have contacted me in recent weeks because they are unable to secure employment, despite having completed their training, registration and clinical placements. Reports suggest recruitment restrictions are preventing appointments from being made where staffing pressures continue to exist. We are all aware Ireland continues to rely heavily on international recruitment of nurses. I think one in every four nurses is now recruited internationally. Their contributions are invaluable and deeply appreciated and I am not sure what we would do without them. However, if newly qualified Irish nurses and midwives cannot secure employment here, they will obviously seek opportunities abroad. It makes little sense to me that we would be exporting nurses on the one hand while on the other, recruiting internationally to fill the positions these nurses cannot get.
At the same time, a 2026 ESRI report projected substantial growth in healthcare workforce requirements across every region to 2040 and that there would be a focus on front-line deployment. What actions are being taken to ensure newly qualified nurses and midwives can enter the workforce without delay?
Comment on this
I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. The word "front-line" is very important here. As the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, in working closely with Minister, Deputy Chambers, prepares for the health budget 2027, we need to make sure we grow our front-line health professionals. The Deputy makes a valid point about the people going through our own universities and colleges who want to be able to work here and are actively looking to do so. They need to be met with an open door; we need them. Therefore, we need to make sure the HSE is prioritising the recruitment of front-line staff. Having seen some very large increases in staffing in the HSE recently, I am not sure it is fair to say most of them have been in the front-line. There is a real need to focus on that.
We have a growing and ageing population, so we need to make sure we have jobs for these young graduates. I know the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, is conscious of this and is preparing as part of the health budget for the months and year ahead. I will ask the Minister to come back to the Deputy when she has clarity on that.