Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation
Dail Éireann — 2026-10-01
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John Connolly (FF), Galway West

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?

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-10-01/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-10-05T01:01:00+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-10-01