The number of nurses actively working in the profession rose from 47,157 in 1997 to 50,940 last year. But the number of inactive nurses rose from 8,998 to 10,389.
Shortages impact particularly on specific specialities. Recently a shortage of intensive care and theatre nurses forced the postponement of an operation on a child at Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children. The hospital is beginning to have to delay the transfer of children from other hospitals for treatment, so far only by days.
The Irish Nurses' Organisation says there is also a shortage of mental handicap and public health nurses.
Many nurses seem reluctant to move to Dublin and to incur high accommodation costs. Shortages are concentrated in the Dublin area, according to the Department of Health and Children. In March there were 889 vacancies in the Dublin area. When overtime and the use of agency nurses is taken into account, the net shortage in Dublin was 292, according to the Department. By contrast, between 700 and 1,000 nurses outside Dublin are unemployed. Training and career opportunities are being introduced to keep nurses in the profession.