Vol. 424 No. 8
186 Mr. Connaughton asked the Minister for Health the number of psychiatric nursing positions to be filled in the Western Health Board; if interviews are to be held; the number of places being filled immediately and at what centres in the Western Health Board area; if a panel is being formed; and, if so, for what duration.
Under existing arrangements each health agency has authority to fill vacancies in a temporary capacity as they arise from within an overall approved employment ceiling. The identification and filling of psychiatric nursing vacancies therefore, is a matter for the Western Health Board in the first instance.
Proposals to fill replacement posts on a permanent basis are considered by my Department on a monthly basis having regard to service, personnel and financial criteria and the priority afforded to each post by the agency concerned. The Western Health Board have not included any psychiatric nursing posts in their latest manpower submission to my Department.
I understand from inquiries that have been made of the Western Health Board in relation to the matters raised by the Deputy that the board are currently holding interviews for permanent psychiatric staff nursing posts in the West Galway psychiatric service. It is the board's intention that a panel will be formed when these interviews are completed from which vacancies arising in the service within the next twelve months will be filled.
The board have also indicated that it has advertised for temporary psychiatric staff nurse posts in the Roscommon psychiatric service. The closing date for this competition is the 12 November, 1992. It is the board's intention that a panel will be formed when the interviews for this competition are completed and that temporary psychiatric nursing vacancies arising in this service within the next twelve months will be filled from the panel.
