Health Services Staff Recruitment

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 20 November 2013

Wednesday, 20 November 2013

Questions (215)

Patrick Nulty

Question:

215. Deputy Patrick Nulty asked the Minister for Health if he will lift the recruitment embargo to allow the recruitment of permanent full-time speech and language therapists; if his attention has been drawn to the huge demands for a public speech and language service for children, adolescents and adults; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that so many qualified speech and language therapists trained in this country have been unable to find work here and have been forced to leave the country to gain employment; if his attention has been drawn to the serious and damaging effect this is having on patients and on the future of the profession in general; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49758/13]

Written answers

Minister for Health

The Government has decided that the numbers employed across the public service must be reduced in order to meet its fiscal and budgetary targets. The health sector must make its contribution to that reduction.

While overall numbers employed in the Health Service have declined by 10% since 2007, the number of Speech and Language Therapists employed in the period has shown a 14% increase, from 712 to 810 whole-time equivalent posts as of 30 September 2013.

The HSE can make staff appointments once it remains within its overall employment ceiling and has the financial resources to do so. As the recruitment of speech and language therapists is a matter for the HSE in the first instance, the Deputy's enquiry has been referred to the Executive for direct reply.