Pearse Wyse
Question:235 Mr. Wyse asked the Minister for Health the total number of vacant permanent posts in respect of all grades in the Southern Health Board.
Written Answers. - Southern Health Board Post Vacancies.
Under existing arrangements, each health agency has authority to fill vacancies in a temporary capacity as they arise from within an overall approved employment ceiling. The identification and filling of vacancies is, therefore, a matter for the Southern Health Board in the first instance.
Proposals to fill replacement posts on a permanent basis are considered by my Department on a monthly basis having regard to service, personnel and financial criteria and the priority afforded to each post by the agency concerned. The Southern Health Board in its most recent submission to my Department have sought approval to fill 46 replacement posts in a permanent capacity. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that 25 of these posts have now been approved for filling on a permanent basis by my Department.