Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 28 January 2026
191. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Health if, as a result of understaffing in public health nurse services in Dublin, follow-up checks on infants at three months and at nine to 11 months are not being conducted, and follow-up checks promised within 48-hours of hospitalisation of infants are also not taking place within that timeframe; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6728/26]
View answerPublic Health Nurses (PHN) are employed by the HSE to deliver safe, quality and person-centred community nursing care across a person's life.
The number of Public Health Nurses (PHNs) employed in the HSE as of November 2025 is 1540 whole time equivalents (WTE), which is an increase of 48 WTE PHNs since December 2023. An additional 26.7 WTE PHN posts provided for in Budget 2025 were recruited through the PHN sponsorship programme for September 2025 with an expected qualification timeframe for August 2026.
Budget 2026 has provided for an additional 3,300 whole-time equivalent (WTE) staff in the Health Service Executive (HSE), with all six Health Regions empowered to utilise resources strategically in a way that meets the needs of their communities. The Department of Health continues to work closely with the HSE to address workforce challenges as a priority, in line with the Programme for Government.
There are, recognised challenges in recruiting and retaining Public Health Nurses, particularly in parts of Dublin. In areas where challenges exist, the HSE National Caseload Prioritisation Procedure for Public Health Nursing Service has been utilised and as a result, access to certain public health nursing services, including child health and developmental checks, in some areas has been delayed or limited.
The National Healthy Childhood Programme (NHCP) is Ireland’s universal programme of clinical care for all children to support them and their parents from birth. Two of the five developmental checks delivered by PHNs under the NHCP are included in the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) monitored by the HSE. The most recent data for 2025 provided by HSE shows that 98.1% of babies were visited by PHNs within 72 hours of discharge from maternity services and 85.8% of babies were seen by a PHN for the 9-11 month child health and development assessment before reaching 12 months of age. There are no reports in relation to the 3-month child health and development assessment currently available.
The Minister acknowledges the concerns of patients and their families when access to these important public health nursing services are limited. This Government remains committed to providing continued investment in the nursing and midwifery workforce and ensuring that public health nursing is available for those who need this care.
