Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 October 2007
248 Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of community dentists currently serving the population of an area (details supplied) in County Donegal; the efforts being made to expand the service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22396/07]
View answerThe Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, my Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.
249 Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Health and Children if, in view of the recent embargo on recruitment into the health services, she will reassure the Houses of the Oireachtas and the public that this embargo will not have an adverse effect on frontline emergency services in particular the ambulance service. [22411/07]
View answerThe HSE National Management Team has developed a financial break-even plan aimed at remaining within its Vote for 2007. The plan includes a temporary pause in recruitment. Other features of this plan include cancelling all foreign travel for the remainder of the year, cancelling all domestic hotel bookings for the remainder of the year, and reviewing all non front-line expenditure to ensure that it is authorized at an appropriately senior level.
This pause in recruitment was reviewed by the HSE National Management Team on October 1st. Based on this review, the HSE has decided that the financial situation is such that it is necessary and prudent to continue the overall pause in recruitment to the end of October. However, the HSE recognises that there are some limited critical or exceptional circumstances where appointment of staff may be necessary in front-line services. Accordingly, the HSE has established a small group, chaired by a representative of the National Employment Monitoring Unit, and representatives of the National Hospitals Office, PCCC and other Directorates to evaluate, monitor and approve requests for derogation from the general recruitment pause. This group will consider such applications on a weekly basis during October 2007.
Additionally, as an interim measure, it has been decided that a derogation of the suspension in appointments should be made to facilitate the following service enhancements: staff recruited to establish and operate Cherry Orchard Community Nursing Units in Dublin; staff recruited as Case/Liaison Officers in respect of services for people with a disability; staff required to open a new Admissions Unit/Community Hostel for the Central Mental Hospital; and staff required to introduce the ‘Fair Deal' arrangements relating to Nursing Home Subventions for Older people. There are almost 130,000 people working in the public health system and the temporary pause in recruitment must be viewed in that context. The Board of the HSE is committed to ensuring that staff costs are controlled and managed to best effect, that an appropriate balance is achieved between clinical and non-clinical posts, that there is a better skill mix within the clinical areas and that staffing levels provide cost-effective and safe/quality care to patients. I share the concern of the HSE to ensure that patient care is not affected during the recruitment suspension. It is the HSE's clear intention that these measures, which involve 200-300 posts, will not impact on ‘front line' services, and it has made provision for critical or essential vacancies to be filled by re-deployment of existing staff.
The Deputy may wish to note that employment in the health service has already increased significantly in 2007. In fact, 2,500 new posts have been authorised by the HSE so far this year arising from new service developments contained in the National Service Plan 2007.
