Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy. Rest assured there have never been as many staff. We are hearing claims about suppression of posts. The reality is that there are nearly 30,000 more healthcare workers in the HSE now than there were when this Government came in. This week through the budget we have funded another 3,500 new posts. At the end of this year there are about 2,500 funded posts vacant. Not only have we had a record level of healthcare workers in the country, but between now and the end of next year there is another 6,500 vacant posts that are fully funded. However, I fully accept that there are individual teams and services that really are under pressure. The good news is that there are funded vacant posts in the Deputy's area and the HSE is looking to fill them. They include two specialist orthodontic vacancies in the Dundalk clinic, as well as one consultant orthodontic vacancy. The money is there, the posts are there and recruitment is ongoing. I will ask the HSE to redouble its efforts to fill those posts as a matter of urgency.

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