Vol. 564 No. 5
287 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of vacant radiographer posts at each hospital at 31 March 2003; the number of radiographers who graduated in 2002; his plans to increase the number of graduate radiographers each year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9968/03]
Responsibility for the recruitment of radiogra phers and for monitoring the level of vacancies lies with the individual employing health agency. The Deputy may wish to note the increase of 57 in wholetime equivalent terms to 814 in the number of radiographers employed in the health service in the two year period to end-2001. Information in respect of end-2002 is currently being compiled by my Department and will be available shortly. In 2002 there were seven graduates from the B.Sc. in Therapeutic Radiography at TCD and seventeen graduates from the B.Sc. in Radiography at UCD. With regard to the expansion of radiography places, the plan is to increase the intake of radiography students from 30 per annum (i.e. 10 in TCD and 20 in UCD) to 65 by taking in an extra 15 in TCD and an extra 20 in UCD. The additional 15 commenced in TCD in October, 2001 and they will graduate in the summer of 2005. The first five of the extra 20 places at UCD commenced in October, 2002 and planning is continuing to admit the full complement in September 2003. My Department does not routinely collect data on vacancy levels in individual grades, including radiographers. Discussions are ongoing with the chief executive officers of the health boards in relation to the measures required to ensure the most effective and timely monitoring of employment trends. In addition, continued investment in information technology together with the development of integrated workforce planning for the health service on a national basis – a key action specified in the health strategy – is expected to make a major contribution in the future to the provision of quality employment-related information and the development of a human resource inventory for the health service.
