Michael Mullins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I call on the Leader to organise a discussion with the Minister for Health on the recruitment processes of the HSE because either the processes are not fit for purpose or else those working in recruitment in the HSE are incompetent. I say this because Merlin Park hospital in Galway has cancelled hundreds of appointments for rheumatology patients over the next three months. People who are in severe pain and who need a service will not receive it until November or December even though they were scheduled to be seen in July and August. The HSE has said the appointments have been cancelled because of staff shortages, annual leave and maternity leave. Maternity leave is not something that happens overnight. The HSE would know at least six months in advance if somebody will be going on maternity leave. If a major company or industry in this country operated like the HSE and failed to plan for its personnel requirements, such a company would go out of business very quickly. The recruitment structure in the HSE must be analysed; it is either overly bureaucratic or it is under-resourced. The Minister needs to come to the House to address this issue. Every problem occurring in the HSE nowadays is down to staff shortages. I fail to understand how this can be allowed to continue and how the people who work in the recruitment section of the HSE can stand over their failure to fill vacancies as they arise and particularly vacancies they know are planned to arise and about which they have notice in advance.