Paul McGrath (Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 43: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the progress to date on filling the offices of chief executive officer of the HSE and Secretary General of her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9500/05]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Question 122: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the procedures for the appointment of a new chief executive officer for the HSE and a new Secretary General for her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9521/05]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 43 and 122 together.

The Interim Health Service Executive, iHSE, awarded a contract to PricewaterhouseCoopers, PWC, following a tendering process, to manage the recruitment of the chief executive officer of the Health Service Executive.

In September 2004, Professor Aidan Halligan — deputy chief medical Officer in the UK — was announced as the first chief executive officer of the Health Service Executive. In November 2004 Professor Halligan announced his withdrawal from the process due to personal reasons.

Following a recommendation from the board of the iHSE, the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children appointed the executive chairman of the iHSE as interim chief executive of the Health Service Executive with effect from 1 January 2005. The interim chief executive officer will remain in this position until a chief executive officer is appointed.

PWC has continued as the recruitment agency to manage the recruitment of the permanent chief executive officer for the Health Service Executive, HSE, and this recruitment process has been underway since early December 2004.

A recruitment subcommittee of the board of the HSE is responsible for the selection of a CEO. The subcommittee is chaired by Mr. Liam Downey, the chairperson of the board. The recruitment subcommittee met on 18 February to assess progress and decide on a suitable shortlist of potential candidates. Formal interviews were held on 8 and 9 March 2005 and the process remains ongoing. When the recruitment process is complete, the board will recommend a person to me for appointment as CEO of the HSE.

The post of Secretary General in my Department is being filled through a competition process organised by the Top Level Appointments Committee. Final interviews for the post are scheduled to take place on Monday, 4 April 2005.