Lorraine Higgins (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for taking this matter. I call on the Minister for Health to provide a derogation for 20 health care assistant-multi-task attendant and nursing posts to be advertised and filled locally for St. Brendan's community nursing unit, Ballinasloe, County Galway, in light of the failure of the HSE to hire these staff. This had been agreed last February when stakeholders met to discuss the opening of a step-down beds unit in St. Brendan's in Ballinasloe. The unit is operated by St. Brendan's in Loughrea but the understanding was that 20 posts would be allocated to people. The opening of the beds was due to the ongoing LRC talks to relieve pressure on county and accident and emergency departments.

The HSE provided quick finance to get the beds up and running and, therefore, it was agreed the unit could hire agency workers while the hiring of full-time staff was conducted. However, the HSE national recruitment service is not progressing the filling of the posts seven months after agreement was reached and the full-time permanent positions are in a state of limbo with agency staff filling the roles. This is simply an advertise, interview and hire procedure and, therefore, the delay is ludicrous. The matter needs to be resolved as soon as possible because the impact of full-time permanent employment on 20 families would be immense. This should not be allowed to drag on without clarity or action because, at the end of the day, hiring agency staff is costly to the Exchequer and, thus, to the taxpayer.

I have contacted the Minister for Health's office twice over the past month and I have not received a response to either of my e-mails on this matter. This is urgent and the matter should not be allowed to drag on indefinitely with no decision arrived at. It is shocking to think we have a national recruitment service that takes seven or eight months to fill posts. I am sure there are 20 multi-task attendants available who would relish the opportunity to take a full-time permanent post, which would set them up for life. I call on the Minister of State to urgently do what she can to influence the Minister to rectify this matter at the earliest convenience.