Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)

There are quite a few questions to be answered. When I was commenting on the freeze on recruitment at the conference of the Irish Nurses Organisation, it was in the context of an increase of 2,500 in the numbers employed by the HSE during the course of 2007. There has not been a reduction in staff, but an increase. One of the challenges facing us is to make sure that staff numbers are in line with approvals from my Department and the Department of Finance.

I also spoke specifically about some hospitals. Where 40 nurses are taken on to cover holiday relief, when the holiday period is over there is no need to keep those nurses. Why is it that in Sligo General Hospital there are 1.8 nurses per bed but only 1.3 nurses per bed in Waterford Regional Hospital? We need to look at some of these wider issues.

In our health system, about 16% of the staff are in administrative roles, a figure which is at 18% in the NHS. The HSE is currently carrying out an audit of management and administration, which I support. I am not saying we have the right balance. There is scope for a voluntary redundancy programme and I hope that can be discussed in the new health forum that will be established.

See this speech in context