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Health Services Staff Recruitment

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 19 December 2013

Thursday, 19 December 2013

Questions (352)

Thomas P. Broughan

Question:

352. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Health the number of approved additional posts in mental health services which have been filled to date this year; and when it is expected that any outstanding vacant posts will be filled. [54845/13]

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Written answers

Following on from the special allocation of €35 million for mental health in Budget 2012, a further €35 million was provided in Budget 2013 for the continued development of our mental health services. Some 900 new posts have been provided primarily to strengthen Community Mental Health Teams for both adults and children and to enhance specialist community mental health services for older people with a mental illness, those with an intellectual disability and mental illness and forensic mental health services in line with A Vision for Change. Budgetary pressures within the HSE delayed the full utilisation of the €35 million allocated in Budget 2012 with the recruitment of the new posts only commencing towards the very end of 2012.

Recruitment of the posts approved for both 2012 and 2013 is continuing. As at the end of November, the recruitment process is complete or in the final stages for 395 or 95% of the 414 posts approved in 2012. Of the posts approved in 2013, the recruitment process is complete for 134 or 28% of the posts, 172 or 36% of the posts were in the final stages of the recruitment process and a further 106 or 22% were at earlier stages, indicating that 412 or 86% of the 2013 allocation have been completed or are in the recruitment process. The posts related to the €35 million allocated in 2013 will continue to come on stream and are targeted to be completed in Quarter 2 of 2014.

There are a number of posts, however, for which there are difficulties in identifying suitable candidates due to factors including availability of qualified candidates and geographic location. The HSE's National Recruitment Service is currently working to ensure that the remaining posts will be filled as soon as possible, from existing panels or through competition in the absence of panels, at the earliest opportunity. Options to enable more local recruitment are also being considered where this will assist in filling specific posts.

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