Directors of nursing from hospitals across the State have appealed to the Government, and in particular the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, to grant an automatic entitlement to work permits to spouses of non-EU nurses working in Irish hospitals.
The plea came at the AGM in Dublin yesterday of the Irish Association of Directors of Nursing and Midwifery. Its president, Ms Geraldine Regan, who is director of nursing at Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin, said that because spouses of nurses from countries like the Philippines were not automatically entitled to work visas at present, the nurses were beginning to leave to work in places like the UK and Australia, where their spouses have an automatic entitlement to work.
The Irish healthcare system has almost 5,000 Filipino nurses, and their loss would be enormous, she said.
"These nurses have spent two or three years working in the Irish health system. They are familiar with the Irish system, with Irish culture and with the type of equipment we use in Irish health institutions. The loss of these nurses represents a huge cost to the Irish economy.
"Not only will we have to recruit new staff, but we will have to put them through induction and orientation programmes, and like any new job it will take new entrants time to adjust and reach full proficiency.
"Meanwhile added pressure is put on existing staff who have to carry a greater workload while the new nurses are being trained."
Father Pat O'Connell, chaplain to the 7,000-strong Irish Filipino community, told the meeting he was concerned about the effects which current work permit policies were having on Filipino families.
"We have been informed that spouses can apply for work permits. However, the process of getting them is so difficult as to make it impossible for most. The categories for which work permits can be granted is very limited. Furthermore, the employer who wishes to employ them must first pay €500, then advertise the position in FÁS for four weeks. If an EU national applies they must receive preference."
He said most Filipino nurses would happily remain in the State if they were assured stability for themselves and their families. Most were on short-term contracts and it was difficult for their family, if they came here, to survive on one wage. Furthermore, it was shameful for a Filipino husband to depend on his wife.
Ms Regan also criticised recent bed closures and the capping of staff in hospitals, which she described as "very crude instruments to curb costs".
She called on the Minister for Health, Mr Martin, to ensure targeted savings in the health sector do not have a negative impact on direct patient care.
However, she welcomed Mr Martin's proposed smoking ban and proposed healthcare reforms, particularly the abolition of health boards.