Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 17 January 2024
1458. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Health for an update on his work to resolve the industrial action currently underway by HSE staff who are members of a union (details supplied), including their action to not respond to elected representatives’ Parliamentary Questions and direct HSE representations; when he expects this to be resolved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56293/23]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, Management and Administration staff in the HSE, represented by Fórsa, began a work-to-rule on the 6th of October 2023, in response to a HSE recruitment pause in their category of staff. The work-to-rule instructions, which have been issued to members by Fórsa, includes an instruction to not respond to Parliamentary Questions. I understand that all Parliamentary Questions are being compiled and filed appropriately by HSE officials to be managed, if necessary, at such time as the work-to-rule is lifted.
When Fórsa's Management and Admin work-to-rule began, the recruitment pause applied only to this category of staff. Since then, as the Deputy is aware, the pause has been extended to include most staff categories, excluding Consultant appointments and Graduate Nurses and Midwives and Doctors in formal approved Training Programmes.
Recruitment across the HSE has been very strong in 2023. The Government funded the HSE to recruit to over 6000 new posts in 2023 to support the development of services. The HSE has reached that target before the end of the year, and this is why a temporary pause has been put in place. If this level of growth was allowed to continue uncontrolled, the HSE would be significantly over the targeted and budgeted recruitment figure by year end which will have financial implications for 2023 and following years, and adversely impact on the HSE’s ability to recruit essential patient facing clinical staff. There is agreement to recruit further 2,260 new posts in 2024.
A series of engagements have taken place in the Workplace Relations Commission between the HSE, the Department of Health and Fórsa in an effort to resolve the dispute. Health management remain open to engaging with Fórsa and I urge Fórsa to stand down their industrial action in the interests of the health service.
