Chairman:

We will move on to CHO 9. Sadly, the member from this area is not present. Consequently, I will ask some of the questions. I will be aided by Deputy Buckley and Senator Devine. I will start off with particular questions about funding and recruitment. I may also extend the questions to the other CHO areas.

I wish to advise the witnesses that we will be giving them specific questions we would like them to follow up through correspondence. I said the same to the CHO area representatives before the committee last week. While I have so many things to ask, I will be brief and perhaps you can reply in black-and-white with brief answers, if possible.

My first question is for Ms Walshe. You have spoken about how in particular you have a difficulty in recruiting psychiatric nurses. I have noticed one thing about all CHO areas. You referred to serious difficulties in recruiting medical and clinical staff. What are the others doing? Ms Walshe referred to 1,232 employees in CHO 9. There is another figure of approximately 944. What are they doing? Ms Walshe may not be able to answer me but I have put the same question to all the CHO areas. We need a breakdown. If the CHOs cannot recruit, what are they doing?