A grant scheme to combat the shortage of nurses working in the State was announced today by the Minister for Health, Micheal Martin.
Under the initiative a State Enrolled Nurse (SEN) who wants to work in the Irish health system would qualify for a £6,000 grant to undertake a nursing conversion programme.
The SEN qualification in the UK is not recognised here. To register as a nurse with An Bord Altranais, a SEN must first do a conversion programme in the UK. Due to this there are hundreds of qualified SENs working in the Irish health service in non-nursing roles.
The non-means tested grant will be paid in return for a commitment by the SEN to work as a nurse in Ireland.
Speaking today Mr Martin said the grant scheme was the latest in a series of initiatives to address the nursing shortage in the country.
"It has the potential to upgrade a large number of experienced Irish health care workers to the level of registered nurses," he said.
"State Enrolled Nurses working in our health service have made an important contribution to patient care across a range of settings.
"They are now being provided with a financial incentive to undertake the programme of education and training required to render them eligible for registration as nurses here.
The course lasts between one year and 18 months.
Bernard Carey, of the Department of Health's nursing policy division, said last September there were 1,388 nursing vacancies in the Republic. That figure has since fallen sharply, he said, with the recent recruitment of several hundred nurses from the Philippines and other non-EU countries, he said.