Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

-----or oversight that it might otherwise have. For example, of the 12 members, four are nominated by the Minister, four are nominated by the board itself and approved by the Minister and the chairperson is chosen by the members of the board. Therefore, it is a bit different. My concern is that, whatever happens 16 or 18 months from now, we have a functional governance structure that enables us to do those two most important things. However, I hear what the Deputies have said to me about their perspectives on this over time. What I am trying to manage is the governance over the other issues.

One concern I have is that I said something incorrectly. Forgive me if I did. To be clear regarding the number of orthopaedic consultants and posts we have, there are nine consultants in post. Four additional orthopaedic consultants are being recruited, one of whom is expected to begin during the summer but none of whom is in post. If I spoke incorrectly, and I feel that I did, I wish to be very clear in that regard.

Regarding the publication of the DDH report - we will come back to this in the next debate - I have some concerns about how a couple of Deputies said that people only found out through media reports. The fact of the audit has been public since June or July 2024. That is an important clarification.

On workforce planning and staffing of all areas, not just paediatrics and spinal surgeries, but the hospital more broadly, there is engagement with unions and there is engagement between the HSE and CHI to agree that workforce plan. Regardless of who stands here - it could be any of us - we are going to have the same difficulties in terms of recruitment and the availability of surgical staff, doctors and nurses. We have 52 funded posts, 22 of which are in situ. Interviews are progressing. I will do everything I can to advance and expedite recruitment but I am under the same constraints as any other person would be. We need to work together on it and have a clear recruitment plan and funding in place. We are trying to recruit and attract from different places. Certainly, the interviews and the wider recruitment process goes on.

I am conscious that I am out of time and that we are now about to speak about something very similar. Perhaps I can address this further then.

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