Health Service Staff

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 2 November 2011

Wednesday, 2 November 2011

Questions (526)

Gerry Adams

Question:

537 Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 133 of 19 October 2011, the reason posts which were created specifically to deal with counselling for adult survivors of childhood abuse are not considered to be exceptions to address critical service risks; the number of other counselling posts to deal with survivors of abuse that have also not been filled due to the recruitment embargo; if he will provide details on the location at which these posts were to be based and the responsibilities involved; if any posts in relation to counselling for survivors of such abuse have been filled since the imposition of the embargo; and if he will provide details on same. [32324/11]

Written answers

Minister for Health (Deputy James Reilly)

The Employment Control Framework for the health sector exempts certain grades and posts from the moratorium on recruitment, including counsellors.

Notwithstanding this exemption, the HSE decided in July of this year to introduce a general recruitment pause to assist with addressing the serious budgetary overrun. This decision must be seen in the context of a possible full year deficit of over €300 million (at its current rate of spending) and the need for the Executive to balance its budget by the end of the year.