Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 18 May 1999

Vol. 504 No. 7

Written Answers. - Ambulance Service.

Enda Kenny

Ceist:

206 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Health and Children the service and panel conditions which applied to interviews conducted in November 1998 by the Western Health Board for emergency medical technician in the ambulance service; the reason the panel appointed to be effective for 12 months from January 1999 has been terminated; the reason this decision has been taken; the authorisation on which this decision was taken; the reason it is now proposed to hold interviews to create another panel after three months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12539/99]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Cowen)

The recruitment and selection of personnel for the ambulance service is a matter for each individual health board. However, I have made inquiries into the matters raised by the Deputy and wish to inform him that I have been advised by the chief executive officer of the Western Health Board that the panel referred to was set up in January, 1998, for an initial period of twelve months, following an open competition. This panel has not, in fact, been terminated but extended by a further period of six months to 8 July 1999. All persons remaining on this panel were advised of this course of action by letter on 7 January 1999. It is open to the chief executive officer of the board to further extend this panel by six months from July, 1999.

Following agreement with the trade union rep resenting these employees a separate confined competition for long-term temporary personnel has recently been advertised by the Western Health Board.