Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 April 2004
597 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of non-permanent employees made permanent in each of the health boards and health authorities for each of the past 36 months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11846/04]
View answerThe Deputy may be aware that a key action, action 2.3.1, identified in the action plan for people management was to review the incidence of temporary contracts to ensure they were being used appropriately and, following this review, to examine the conversion of temporary staff to permanent as appropriate, which is designed to improve the quality of working life for health service employees. In any event, the Protection of Employees (Fixed-Term Work) Act 2003 requires that fixed-term employees are not treated in any less favourable manner than comparable permanent employees in respect of their benefits and other conditions of employment. Responsibility for the management of the workforce including the review of temporary contracts rests with each of the health boards and the Eastern Regional Health Authority. My Department has therefore asked the chief executive officer of each health board and the regional chief executive of the Eastern Regional Health Authority to investigate the matters raised by the Deputy and reply to him directly.
