Seán Fleming
Question:464. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Health his views on whether there is an excess of administrative staff within the Health Service Executive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42495/13]
View answerTuesday, 12 November 2013
Questions (464)
Written answers
In September 2013 there were 15,486 management - administrative staff employed in the HSE and agencies funded by the HSE, which represents 15.4% of total staff; management/administrative staff numbers have reduced by 2,935 since a peak in September 2007. In the context of the employment control framework numbers employed in the health service must be further reduced. While it is a matter for the HSE to determine the composition of its staffing complement, it is important not to underestimate the significant role that management-administrative staff play in the direct support of front line services.
Administrative staff ensure that the service runs as smoothly as possible, for example staffing ED reception, organising OPD clinics, processing medical cards, collecting income due, managing the health service budget and paying its staff. Managers are essential also in such a complex system and those earning over €100,000 have taken the biggest reductions in recent years, while shouldering substantial responsibility for the delivery of essential services and functions at national and regional level. The HSE has operated a general moratorium on the filling of management-admin posts in recent years, so as to focus development funds as far as possible on the front-line.
I am satisfied that the tools are available to the HSE to ensure that the correct number and mix of staff is available in accordance with its business needs and government policy on public service numbers. In this regard, 78 management-administrative staff have recently been approved for incentivised career breaks and it is anticipated that in 2014, the HSE will begin to offer voluntary redundancy on a targeted basis to staff identified as surplus to requirements.