Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 11 May 2000

Vol. 519 No. 1

Written Answers. - Departmental Staff.

Noel Ahern

Question:

134 Mr. N. Ahern asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of employees working in the health services; and the way in which this compares with statistics for five years ago; ten years ago; 20 years ago; 30 years ago and 40 years ago. [13232/00]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin)

The information requested by the Deputy is set out below to the extent that it is available. The present basic structure of the health services was established in 1971 with the setting up of the health boards. Prior to that time, the local authorities were responsible for the health services and reliable information regarding numbers employed is not available.

The information available to my Department is obtained from the health service personnel census. The most recent year for which the data is available is 1998. The census for 1999 is currently being collected.

CensusDate	Wholetime Equivalence
1977	50,611/(earliest data available)(See note below)
1981	66,060/(20 years ago)(See note below)
1990	59,850/(10 years ago)
1995	65,169/(5 years ago)
1998	69,726/(most recent)

Note: The figures refer to wholetime equivalents rather than actual number of employees. They are based on returns by individual agencies. Earlier figures – 1997 and 1981 – are considered less reliable due to variations among agencies in their approach to counting part-time staff, locums, etc. Methodology has been refined in subsequent years.

There were no detailed staffing statistics for 1981 in respect of mental handicap services and commercial/non-commercial State bodies. However, the total employment at the date of the staff embargo was, as shown, 66,060.

With effect from 1991 the inclusion in the health service personnel census of employment in commercial and non-commercial State boards under the aegis of the Department ceased. The decline in employment in the health service during the 1980s reflects the effect of the overall drive to reduce public service numbers in that period and, in particular, the early retirement scheme. The growth in employment since the 1980s follows significant investment in and expansion of the level and type of health and personal social services.