Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Wednesday, 29 March 2023
Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health
Implementation of Sláintecare Reforms: Department of Health and HSE
Mr. Robert Watt:
There are two issues. There is recruitment, which we have mentioned, and it was interesting to hear what the new CEO said about looking at the recruitment processes again and how they have improved. That is reflected in the work of Ms Hoey and her team in that there is a lot of recruitment going on, and it is much more effective. Can we do better? Of course. There are certain skills where we have difficulty. As for the wider industrial relations disputes that can arise and different issues we have with the representative bodies, I think we are all very conscious of trying to engage early and constructively with people on their grievances and issues within the machinery that is there and try to deal with any issues that arise. That is part of the ongoing professionalisation of the industrial relations function within the HSE.