Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 8 June 2016
453. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health his views on the impact, which the recently introduced interim measures restricting recruitment within the health service pending the approval of a new HSE pay and numbers strategy, will have on an individual hospitals' ability to fill staffing vacancies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14645/16]
View answerRecent measures taken in relation to service areas in the HSE remaining within budget have been portrayed, incorrectly, as a recruitment freeze.
These measures do not impact on a hospital’s ability to recruit where funding exists to facilitate that recruitment; for example in the case of funded replacement posts or where additional funding has been allocated for new positions under the HSE service plan. Recruitment can also take place in areas of critical care and emergency services.
The HSE has continuously increased staffing levels since the beginning of 2015. By the end of April this year, overall health service employee numbers had increased by over 6,000 whole time equivalents since the start of last year, with an extra 1,600 WTEs in the first four months of 2016 alone. The vast majority of these employees are in front line positions. Numbers in the Medical and Dental category increased by almost 600 WTEs or 6.5% since the start of 2015 while nursing figures rose by over 1,700 or 5% during the same timeframe.
It is this government’s intention to continue to grow the health budget as the economy improves and to obtain further resources to deliver the level of service that we all want to provide to our patients.
