Ms Susan Clyne:

This is true but if someone wants to job share, he or she must have someone to job share with so he or she needs to find that other person. People can apply for these things but they are not automatically granted it. It depends on the service level all the time. Flexibility has to be built into every workforce plan for health services, all public services and all private services. The demographic of the world of workforce now requires this flexibility and for us to deliver services requires this flexibility. I am not disputing there are flexibility options that can be availed of but they can be availed of in certain circumstances. We should absolutely be grateful to take on people who cannot give a commitment of a 37-hour week but who are willing to give a commitment of 20 hours. We should not stand in the way of recruitment and bringing in people willing to work in the system.