Olivia Mitchell
Ceist:154 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of posts for clinical psychologists which are vacant in each of the health boards. [14129/03]
Written Answers. - Psychological Service.
Information on vacancies of health service personnel is not collected on a routine basis by my Department. Responsibility for human resource planning, including the monitoring and filling of vacant psychologist posts in each health board region, rests with the chief executive officer of each board. In managing the workforce in his-her region, each chief executive officer is responsible for determining the appropriate staffing mix and the precise grades of staff to be employed in line with service plan priorities, subject to overall employment levels remaining within the approved regional employment ceiling. My Department has therefore requested information from the chief executive officers of the health boards and the regional chief executive of the Eastern Regional Health Authority on the number of vacancies that exist for clinical psychologists and this information will be sent to the Deputy as soon as it is available.