Vol. 527 No. 5
153 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of vacancies that exist in the health services; if he will give a breakdown of such vacancies; the impact such vacancies have on the provision and delivery of health services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29044/00]
The identification of staffing requirements and the deployment of staff within the overall financial and employment levels set by my Department is a matter for the management of each health agency. The number of vacancies at any one time has to be looked at in this context. Current personnel policy for the health service provides that health agencies may fill non-consultant replacement posts without recourse to the Department. Consequently the information sought by the Deputy in relation to vacancies is not generally available.
It should also be noted that recruitment of personnel is carried out on an ongoing basis in most agencies and that the level of vacancies fluctuates accordingly. At any given time, significant numbers of personnel would be in the process of being appointed by employers or moving from one employment to another.
More specific information is available in relation to nurse vacancies. A survey of nursing vacancies at 30 September 2000 was carried out by the Health Service Employers' Agency. This found that the overall position, 1,388 vacancies, was slightly worse than that pertaining at 30 September 1999. The net vacancy position stood at 476 when account is taken of agency nurses and overtime working. A copy of the survey will be forwarded to the Deputy.
The survey found again that difficulties largely relate to the Dublin area. The major Dublin acute hospitals account for a large percentage of the vacancies in the eastern region. These hospitals have engaged in a successful international recruitment drive. However, the full impact of recruitment campaigns is not reflected in the survey as many of the nurses recruited abroad had not started work at that time.
