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Seanad
‹ Order of Business

Overseas nurse recruitment

Summary

Sheahan requests a debate on HSE recruitment of nurses abroad while returning Irish nurses face difficulties re-entering the profession and dealing with registration paperwork.

Is it possible to bring to the House the Minister for Health to debate the HSE's recruitment of nurses from abroad? Representatives of the HSE are in Britain and further afield trying to entice nurses back to the health service here by offering them inducements. I call for a debate because hundreds of people in this country left the nursing profession for various reasons, including raising families. They are trying to get back into the nursing profession but finding it almost impossible. I am told they find An Bord Altranais less than co-operative. Much of the issue is with regard to paperwork and bureaucracy. I call for a debate and the Minister to give a directive. We have qualified persons here who have been out of the service for a number of years and wish to come back. Their families are reared. This is where we should target the recruitment. It should also be part of it. I have the anecdotal case of a paediatric nurse who is needed in Kerry General Hospital. She has been out of the service for number of years and needs retraining and reassessment, which can only be done in Crumlin children's hospital, but that hospital will not do it because she will not work there. It is crazy. I cannot understand why there are such draconian measures whereby the hospital in Crumlin will not provide for the reassessment or retraining required to enable her to work in Kerry General Hospital. Will the Leader invite the Minister to come to the House to debate this issue? Nurses are needed. They are in the country and want to get back into the service. We should entice them and give them any help they need to do so.

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