Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 12 Mar 1996

Vol. 462 No. 8

Written Answers. - Recruitment Advertising.

Máire Geoghegan-Quinn

Ceist:

85 Mrs. Geoghegan-Quinn asked the Minister for Health the amount of money spent by his Department and each health board on recruitment advertising in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5438/96]

Minister for Health (Mr. Noonan,

Limerick East): The information sought by the Deputy is set out in the following tabular statement.

Expenditure on Recruitment Advertising 1993-1995:

	1993	1994	1995
	£	£	£
Eastern Health Board	112,100	166,500	201,800
Midland Health Board	43,182	46,021	69,713
North-Western Health Board	66,369	78,541	101,158
Mid-Western Health Board	74,109	102,624	94,247
Southern Health Board	56,361	74,531	109,008
South-Eastern Health Board	80,000	106,000	66,000
North-Eastern Health Board	53,776	100,668	191,915
Western Health Board	92,706	106,229	105,878

The management of the health services, within budget, including advertising, is a matter for each health board within its functional area.

An agreement is in place whereby all health boards process their advertisements through a single advertising agency and benefit from a group rate, resulting in considerable savings.

Expenditure on advertising is closely monitored on an ongoing basis. A review group comprising the personnel officer in each health board is currently considering what further improvements can be made in practices in this area having regard both to effectiveness in attracting suitable candidates and the cost of so doing.