Health Service Staff.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 26 September 2007

Wednesday, 26 September 2007

Questions (318)

James Bannon

Question:

403 Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Health and Children if it is Health Service Executive policy to publish statistics on numbers employed to include both staff on paid leave, that is maternity, sick, annual and so on, and also contract staff replacing them, thus introducing double counting into the published figures; if this is the case will she provide a breakdown of the HSE employment figures given in note 7 of the HSE 2006 accounts into permanent staff actually working in HSE, permanent staff on paid leave, permanent staff on unpaid leave and contract staff replacing permanent staff on leave; if staff numbers between 2005 and 2006 actually did increase; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20672/07]

Written answers

Minister for Health and Children (Deputy Mary Harney)

I wish to advise that the Health Service Personnel Census, which contains data in relation to the numbers (in wholetime equivalent terms) employed in the public health service, is the responsibility of the Health Service Executive. In that regard, the Executive is the appropriate body to consider the matter raised by the Deputy. My Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to have the matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.