James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator for raising this issue, which is of concern to the people of Waterford. Any loss of a job is upsetting for the Government. We want to create jobs and we have been very successful in doing so in areas such as Waterford. It might not have been as quickly as people would like, but none the less, more than 70,000 jobs have been created overall in recent years. That is in comparison to a time when we were losing 1,500 jobs a week. We have had a huge turnaround in that regard.

Senator Cullinane said the State was adding to unemployment, but if we do not have an efficient public service then people will have to pay more taxes unnecessarily and that is a disincentive to people to become employed or for them to employ others. The reduction in the size of the public service has been an essential component of the approach to addressing the State's fiscal difficulties. That has been combined with a firm focus on improving public service efficiency and effectiveness. The Croke Park agreement and now the Haddington Road agreement have enabled health services to be sustained and indeed improved despite a staffing reduction of 11,000 whole-time equivalents, or 10%, since 2007.

I acknowledge the major contribution staff have made to meeting the unprecedented challenges of recent years and putting the State's finances on a sustainable footing for the future. The Haddington Road agreement provides for some five million additional working hours annually and for the appointment of 1,000 nurses and midwives as well as 1,000 intern support staff under targeted employment initiatives. These measures will enable the health service to substantially reduce levels of agency employment and overtime and continue to reduce overall numbers while maintaining services and service levels to the greatest possible extent.

While both the Croke Park and Haddington Road agreements have resulted in a decrease in staff numbers, the roll-out of the Haddington Road agreement has also extended the working day by an average of two hours per staff member. That represents greater flexibility and enhances service provision. The HSE continues to support efficiencies in how services are managed and delivered.

As Senator Cullinane pointed out, the staffing level in Waterford Regional Hospital has been reduced. However, recruitment initiatives are ongoing across a number of health care grades to address staffing deficits and to reduce overtime costs and reliance on agency staff. Recruitment is in progress for nurses, NCHDs, hospital consultants and health and social care professionals, and there is an intern scheme for health support staff.

The Senator will be aware that public hospitals are being reorganised into more accountable hospital groups. Waterford Regional Hospital is now in the south/south west group along with Cork University Hospital and Cork University Maternity Hospital, Kerry General Hospital, Mercy University Hospital, South Tipperary General Hospital, South Infirmary-Victoria University Hospital, Bantry General Hospital, Mallow General Hospital and the Lourdes Orthopaedic Hospital, Kilcreene. The group structure being put in place will allow for more efficient deployment of human resources, facilitating effective and flexible use of staff, thus allowing a better response to service needs. I officially met and spent time with Professor Geraldine McCarthy, the chair of the group. She is anxious to move things on, as am I. Hospital groups will be required, within one year, to develop a strategic plan which will outline their plans for future services within the group area. These strategic plans will determine the way services are provided within each group, and their successful implementation will be required before groups can advance to become hospital trusts when the necessary legislation is put in place.

Waterford Regional Hospital can now look forward to a new and expanding role within the south/south west hospital group as well as developing a new relationship with its primary academic partner, UCC. In particular, the research opportunities presenting through close collaboration with UCC will make for an attractive working environment and will assist Waterford Regional Hospital in being able to compete for and recruit the best clinical talent available. By being in such a group with an academic partner the hospital will be able to buddy up with industry in areas such as IT, medical devices and pharmaceutical companies to produce jobs through research and innovation. That is another goal of creating the hospital groups as well as improving outcomes for patients, which must be our central concern.