, Limerick East): The Midland Health Board is responsible for the management of services and deployment of staff at St. Loman's Psychiatric Hospital, Mullingar. Current personnel policy for the health services provides that health agencies which are managing resources within their allocations may fill non-consultant posts without recourse to the Department.
In April 1995 the Midland Health Board established a panel for the filling of vacant nursing posts in the Longford-Westmeath mental health services. Ten candidates were offered posts and eight of these took up duty, while the remaining two withdrew from the competition. The life of the panel was extended by the chief executive officer for an additional year to 4 April 1997, and those whose names were on the panel were advised accordingly. A further seven candidates have been processed and are ready for offers of permanent appointment.
The Deputy will be aware that it has been agreed between nursing unions and management, in the context of the nursing dispute, that temporary employment in the service should be reduced to the minimum level consistent with operational requirements. Under the revised offer arising from the recent Labour Court recommendation, 2,000 nursing posts are to be converted immediately from temporary to whole-time permanent status by means of a confined competition. This factor is currently being taken into consideration in the filling of further permanent nursing posts.
