Dan Neville
Ceist:102 Mr. Neville asked the Minister for Health and Children if the appointment of permanent porter positions at the mid-western regional hospital has been affected by recent cutbacks. [17810/02]
Written Answers. - Hospital Appointments.
In mid-July last my Department advised each health board of a range of measures to be taken to ensure that health expenditure in 2002 remained consistent with the approved levels for the year. In this context, the Mid-Western Health Board was requested to achieve savings of €0.85 million from an adjustment in planned employment growth. All the health boards were informed by my Department that the adjustment in employment growth was to be undertaken in a way so as to have minimum impact on new and existing services. As responsibility for the precise measures to be taken to yield the planned result in service and cost terms rests with the chief executive officer of each health board, my Department has asked the chief executive officer of the Mid-Western Health Board to investigate the matters raised by the Deputy and reply to him directly.