Denis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
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Question 112: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the number of persons who are considered to be frontline staff in the delivery of health care; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4256/05]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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I take it the Deputy is referring to the public health care sector, for which employment information is collected by the Department on the basis of the grade of staff and the employing agency, rather than on the basis of the classification of duties requested by the Deputy.

The Health Act 2004 provided for the Health Service Executive, HSE, which was established on 1 January 2005. Under the Act, the executive has the responsibility to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. This includes responsibility for the allocation of staffing resources between frontline and other duties. Accordingly, the Department has requested the interim chief executive officer of the HSE to investigate the matter raised and to reply directly to the Deputy.

The Deputy may wish to note that the report of the commission on financial management and control systems in the health service, chaired by Professor Niamh Brennan, concluded that there was no evidence to support the perception that non-frontline staff, rather than those providing a direct patient service, have absorbed resources allocated to the health service disproportionately.