Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 8 May 2001

Vol. 535 No. 4

Written Answers - Specialised Medical Workers.

Liz McManus

Question:

181 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of occupational therapists employed in (i) the public sector and (ii) the voluntary sector in each health board area; the number of current vacancies; the projected number needed over the next seven years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12859/01]

Liz McManus

Question:

182 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of physiotherapists, speech therapists, psychologists and child psychologists employed currently in (i) the public sector and (ii) the voluntary sector in each health board area; the number of vacant posts in each sector in each health board area; the projected need over the next seven years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12860/01]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 181 and 182 together.

The latest figures for numbers employed in the professions requested are given in the following table. The data are from the health service personnel census of 31 December 1999 and are expressed in wholetime equivalents – wte. Figures in respect of 31 December 2000 are being compiled at present and will be available in the near future. The census does not contain data on psychologists by specialist areas and therefore I am unable to give separate figures for child psychologists.

My Department does not have figures for the number of current vacancies, nor the projected number of posts needed over the next seven years. I have asked the chief executive officers of each of the health boards to forward the information on vacancies and projected need for the next seven years directly to the Deputy.

Regarding the general question of workforce planning in the health and social care professions area, my Department commissioned Dr. Peter Bacon and Associates to conduct a study on the current and future supply and demand conditions for certain professional therapists which will be published in the near future. Among the issues to be addressed by this study is the number of additional training places required by the physiotherapists, occupational therapists and speech and language therapists. Through the Higher Education Authority, the possibility of increasing the number of training colleges, as well as training places will also be addressed. A service review of psychology services in the health boards is under way. Discussions on additional postgraduate places have taken place with heads of the schools of psychology. Some 30 additional places came on stream from October 2000 and further places are expected in October 2001.

Occupational Therapists at 31/12/99

Health BoardArea	Health Board	Number
Eastern	Eastern	109.0
Midland	Midland	24.5
Mid-Western	Mid-Western	12.2
North Eastern	North Eastern	32.5
North Western	North Western	22.5
South Eastern	South Eastern	20.8
Southern	Southern	23.5
Western	Western	18.1
	Voluntary Hospitals
Eastern	Beaumont Hospital	9.5
Eastern	Leopardstown Park Hospital	1.6
Eastern	Mater Misericordiae Hospital	6.0
Eastern	National Rehabilitation Hospital	14.5
Eastern	Our Lady's Hospice, (Harold's Cross)	8.5
Eastern	Royal Hospital, Donnybrook, Dublin	5.0
Eastern	St. Mary's Auxiliary Hospital (Baldoyle)	1.0
Eastern	St. Mary's Hospital, Cappagh	2.5
Eastern	St. Michael's Hospital (Dunlaoire)	1.0
Eastern	St. Vincent's Hospital (Elm Park)	9.5
Eastern	St. James's Hospital	13.1
Eastern	Tallaght Hospital	7.5
Eastern	Temple Street Children's Hosp. (Dublin)	3.0
	Mental Handicap Homes
Eastern	Children's Sunshine Home	0.1
Eastern	Daughters of Charity (Navan Road)	3.7
Eastern	Daughters of Charity (Blackrock)	0.5
Eastern	St. John of God, (Stillorgan)	3.5
Eastern	St. Michael's House (Dublin)	8.5
Mid-Western	Daughters of Charity (Limerick)	0.9
Mid-Western	Sisters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary	1.0
Southern	Beaufort	1.0
Southern	Cope Foundation	5.0
Western	Brothers of Charity – Galway Region	1.4
	Total	371.4

Source: Personnel Census – Department of Health and Children.

Note: All figures are expressed as Wholetime Equivalents.

Speech and Language Therapists (all grades) at 31/12/99

Health BoardArea	Health Board	Number
	Eastern	89.3
	Midland	17.4
	Mid-Western	21.5
	North-Eastern	30.4
	North-Western	17.9
	South-Eastern	35.8
	Southern	29.0
	Western	21.2
	Voluntary Hospitals
Eastern	Beaumont Hospital	7.0
Health BoardArea	Health Board	Number
Eastern	Mater Misericordiae Hospital	4.0
Eastern	National Rehabilitation Hospital	6.0
Eastern	Our Lady's Hospital (Crumlin)	1.0
Eastern	Royal Hospital, Donnybrook, Dublin	1.5
Eastern	Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hosp. (Dublin)	0.6
Eastern	St. Mary's Auxiliary Hospital (Baldoyle)	0.4
Eastern	St. Michael's Hospital (Dunlaoire)	0.5
Eastern	St. Vincent's (Fairview)	0.5
Eastern	St. Vincent's Hospital (Elm Park)	3.0
Eastern	St. James's Hospital	7.5
Eastern	Tallaght Hospital	8.5
Eastern	Temple Street Children's Hosp. (Dublin)	5.0
	Mental Handicap Homes
Eastern	Children's Sunshine Home	0.2
Eastern	Daughters of Charity (Navan Road)	3.0
Eastern	St. John of God, (Stillorgan)	7.3
Eastern	St. Michael's House (Dublin)	8.0
Midland	Delvin (Sisters of Charity)	0.5
Mid-Western	Daughters of Charity (Limerick)	3.0
Mid-Western	Sisters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary	1.0
North Western	Cregg House	1.0
Southern	Beaufort	1.0
Southern	Brothers of Charity, Lota (Southern)	6.0
Southern	St. Patrick's, Upton	0.2
Western	Brothers of Charity – Galway Region	5.0
Western	Brothers of Charity – Roscommon Region	1.0
	Total	345.0

Source: Personnel Census – Department of Health and Children.

Note: All figures are expressed as Wholetime Equivalents.

Physiotherapists (all grades) at 31/12/99

Health Board Area	Health Board	Number
	Eastern	80
	Midland	31
	Mid-Western	30
	North Eastern	50
	North Western	48
	South Eastern	60
	Southern	60
	Western	46
	Voluntary Hospitals
Eastern	Beaumont Hospital	30.0
Eastern	Coombe Women's Hospital	3.6
Eastern	Hume Street Hospital (Dublin)	0.0
Eastern	Incorporated Orthopaedic Hosp. (Clontarf)	3.8
Eastern	Leopardstown Park Hospital	1.6
Eastern	Mater Misericordiae Hospital	37.4
Eastern	National Maternity Hospital, Holles Street	3.0
Eastern	National Rehabilitation Hospital	20.0
Health BoardArea	Health Board	Number
Eastern	Our Lady's Hospice, (Harold's Cross)	9.9
Eastern	Our Lady's Hospital, (Crumlin)	6.5
Eastern	Rotunda Hospital, (Dublin)	2.2
Eastern	Royal Hospital, Donnybrook, Dublin	5.5
Eastern	Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hosp. (Dublin)	0.5
Eastern	St. Luke's and St. Anne's Hospitals	2.0
Eastern	St. Mary's Auxiliary Hospital (Baldoyle)	1.0
Eastern	St. Mary's Hospital, Cappagh	6.0
Eastern	St. Michael's Hospital (Dunlaoire)	5.0
Eastern	St. Vincent's Hospital (Elm Park)	26.6
Eastern	St. James's Hospital	32.0
Eastern	Tallaght Hospital	22.9
Eastern	Temple Street Children's Hosp. (Dublin)	6.3
Mid-Western	St. John's Hospital (Limerick)	3.0
Southern	Mercy Hospital, Cork	4.1
Southern	South Infirmary/Victoria Hospital Ltd.	5.5
Western	Portiuncula Hospital, (Ballinasloe)	5.4
	Mental Handicap Homes
Eastern	Children's Sunshine Home	1
Eastern	Daughters of Charity (Clonsilla)	1
Eastern	Daughters of Charity (Navan Road)	3
Eastern	Moore Abbey (Sisters of Charity)	2
Eastern	St. John of God, (Stillorgan)	3
Eastern	St. Michael's House (Dublin)	7
Eastern	Stewart's Hospital, (Palmerstown)	2
Mid-Western	Brothers of Charity, Limerick (Mid-West)	1
Mid-Western	Sisters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary	0
North Western	Cregg House	1
South Eastern	St. Patrick's, (Kilkenny)	1
Southern	Beaufort	1
Southern	Cope Foundation	3
Western	Brothers of Charity – Galway Region	5
Western	Brothers of Charity – Roscommon Region	1
	Total	679

Source: Personnel Census – Department of Health and Children.

Note: All figures are expressed as Wholetime Equivalents.

Psychologists (all grades) at 31/12/99

Health Board Area	Health Board	Number
	Eastern	50
	Midland	15
	Mid-Western	17
	North Eastern	16
	North Western	18
	South Eastern	31
	Southern	15
	Western	31
Health Board Area	Health Board	Number
	Voluntary Hospitals
Eastern	Beaumont Hospital	0.5
Eastern	Mater Misericordiae Hospital	1.0
Eastern	National Rehabilitation Hospital	2.5
Eastern	Our Lady's Hospital, (Crumlin)	6.0
Eastern	St. Vincent's (Fairview)	2.1
Eastern	St. Vincent's Hospital (Elm Park)	1.1
Eastern	Tallaght Hospital	1.2
Eastern	Temple Street Children's Hosp. (Dublin)	7.5
	Mental Handicap Homes
Eastern	Daughters of Charity (Navan Road)	4
Eastern	Moore Abbey (Sisters of Charity)	5
Eastern	St. John of God, (Stillorgan)	27
Eastern	St. Michael's House (Dublin)	13
Eastern	Stewart's Hospital, (Palmerstown)	1
Midland	Delvin (Sisters of Charity)	2
Mid-Western	Brothers of Charity, Limerick (Mid-West)	6
Mid-Western	Daughters of Charity (Limerick)	4
Mid-Western	Sisters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary	2
North Western	Cregg House	1
South Eastern	Brothers of Charity, Waterford (South-Eastern)	5
South Eastern	Carriglea (Sisters of the Bon Sauveur)	0
Southern	Beaufort	1
Southern	Brothers of Charity, Lota (Southern)	6
Southern	Cope Foundation	8
Southern	St. Patrick's, Upton	1
Western	Brothers of Charity – Galway Region	9
Western	Brothers of Charity – Roscommon Region	2
	Total	309

Source: Personnel Census – Department of Health and Children.

Note: All figures are expressed as Wholetime Equivalents.