Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I will raise a couple of issues before we finish up. Obviously, the employment pause or embargo is having a major impact on services. However, there are a few areas in which the board and the HSE can address some issues where there seems to be either confusion or a lack of action by the HSE. The first of those is on the workforce planning front.

It is hard to understand why the HSE has come to this so late. One would expect that would be a regular function of any major organisation. Anyway, there seems to be something happening there. However, where there are serious difficulties is on the HSE side, with the lack of clinical placements. That is something the HSE has control over. It would seem that in respect of providing additional third level places, there is a willingness to do that but not unless there are adequate clinical placements provided by the HSE. That is something that needs urgent attention.

There are two other areas that the committee has been involved in to some extent. We had the Neurological Alliance of Ireland in here recently and there was approval for specialist neurological nurses who could do incredible work with different patient groups who have neurological conditions. These posts were approved in various places across the country, 13 posts that were not filled. In response to a parliamentary question I tabled, the HSE said those 13 posts could not be filled because they were caught by the employment embargo. Last week in the Dáil, the Minister said that is not true. I ask that the board examine this. It would unlock a huge number of additional services for a very large number of patients. I ask for that to be clarified. The Minister said that those 13 posts were exempted.