As the information requested by the Deputy relates to human resource management issues which are matters for the Health Service Executive, the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive has been asked to respond directly to the Deputy in regard to the information sought.
I should also explain that employment information collected by my Department refers to numbers employed rather than to vacancies. The Deputy may wish to note that my Department's Health Service Employment Census, which encompasses staff employed by the Health Service Executive, the voluntary hospitals and some intellectual disability agencies, shows a total of 101,978 wholetime equivalent staff (excluding home helps) at end December, 2005. This compares with a total of 67,814 at end December, 1997 and represents an increase of 34,137 or 50.32%. There has been an increase of 2,290 or 46.06% in medical and dental personnel and an increase of 7,902 or 28.9% in nursing personnel.