Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 7 May 2003

Vol. 566 No. 1

Written Answers. - Health Service Staffing.

Breeda Moynihan-Cronin

Question:

65 Ms B. Moynihan-Cronin asked the Minister for Health and Children if he has completed his consideration of the implications for the health service of the planned reduction in public service numbers though natural wastage over the next three years; the implications for staffing levels in the health service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12015/03]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin)

Proposals have been made by my Department to the Department of Finance regarding the contribution of the health sector, through natural wastage, to the planned overall reduction in public service numbers. These proposals are currently the subject of contact between officials of both Departments. The key principle guiding the implementation of the measure in the health sector will be to minimise the impact on the high proportion of health service employees engaged in providing front line services to the public and should be viewed against the backdrop of very significant increases in employment over recent years. In this context, the Deputy may wish to note the increase of in excess of 28,000 or 42% in the approved employment level for the health services since 1997, bringing authorised employment numbers to 96,000, excluding home helps, in wholetime equivalent terms.

As illustrated by provisional health service census information now available for end-2002, the overall increase is underpinned by large increases among key clinical grades. In this regard, over the past five years the number of medical staff, excluding consultants, has increased by 1,300, 40%, the number of consultants has increased by 380, 29%, and the number of nursing staff has increased by 7,600, 30%, in wholetime equivalent terms. Significant increases have also been recorded over the same period in key health and social care professional grades. For example, employment of physiotherapists has increased by almost 80%, employment of occupational therapists has more than doubled and the employment of speech and language therapists has risen by over 60%.

These substantial gains in employment levels of core health service personnel over recent years, allied to the significant increases in other health service grades providing front-line services to the public, are continuing to make a major contribution to the quantity and quality of health and social care, currently being delivered by the health service.