Vol. 473 No. 1
111 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Health the total number of personnel vacancies currently in the health services due to budgetary restrictions; if he will give a breakdown in respect of each health board area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24452/96]
Limerick East): As I recently explained to the Deputy, current personnel policy for the health services provides that health agencies which are managing resources within allocation may fill non-consultant replacement posts without recourse to the Department. A separate procedure applies to replacement consultant medical posts as they have to be reviewed in conjunction with Comhairle na nOspidéal, which is the statutory body responsible for, inter alia, regulating the number and type of consultant medical staff.
When new service developments are approved, the costs of any additional staff are incorporated, as a matter of course, into the relevant agency's funding allocation. For these reasons the information sought by the Deputy in relation to vacancies is not readily available in the Department.
