Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)

Yes. I am not aware of having received a letter which did not result in appropriate follow-up. If, however, somebody produces such a letter, I will put up my hands. A computer reminder is issued in the first instance. I also have such an electronic means of issuing reminders in my constituency office. While it is possible issues arise concerning the speed at which we respond from time to time, the issuing of a response is a requirement as far as the Department is concerned.

On the size of Health Service Executive management, the HSE is a large organisation which amalgamated several organisations besides the health boards and Eastern Regional Health Authority. I shared the view expressed by many others at the time that a redundancy programme should have been introduced. However, this approach was not supported politically or by the trade unions.

I repeat what I have said publicly and to Professor Drumm. If people in areas of administration or management are superfluous to requirements and there are shortages elsewhere, we should take a bold and innovative approach and consider introducing a redundancy programme. This is not generally done in the State sector, notwithstanding one or two examples which may not have been successful. Sometimes one loses the people one does not want to lose, which is not the intention. Having made that remark, I or my Department will receive a call or letter from the employee representative organisations.

Clearly, the HSE must be organised appropriately in terms of deployment. This is particularly important in the labour intensive area of health where more staff are always needed in front-line services. Nevertheless, our acute hospitals have one of the highest ratios of staff to beds in the world. The OECD has been studying this issue recently and I will be surprised if it, as an independent body, does not confirm that.

See this speech in context