Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 154: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the number of consultancy posts at medical or surgical level vacant throughout the health service; her plans to fill these posts; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9728/05]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 155: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the number of staff required at medical, surgical and nursing levels throughout the entire health service; her plans to meet such requirements in full; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9729/05]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 158: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the number of nursing, medical and surgical vacancies awaiting to be filled; when she expects to be in a position to meet this requirement in full; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9732/05]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 154, 155 and 158 together.

As regards hospital consultant posts, the National Hospitals Office Comhairle has informed me that on 22 March 2005 the number of approved consultant posts was 1,947 of which 278 were approved and unfilled on a permanent basis. While waiting to be filled on a permanent basis over 50% of these posts are filled by approved temporary appointments. Furthermore, of these 278 posts unfilled on a permanent basis, 238 have been advertised and for these, 79 candidates have been selected to date. This number of 1,947 approved posts shows an increase of 655 since 1997 — a 50% increase in eight years — which is, by any standards, a significant demonstration of this Government's investment in consultants in recent years. The number of unfilled posts is constantly changing due mainly to retirements, replacement and additional posts being approved and the necessarily complex procedure of filling these posts with doctors of the required high standards of qualification and experience.

With regard to nursing posts, according to the most recent Health Service Executive — employer representative division, HSE-ERD, survey of nursing resources, recruitment remains well ahead of resignations and retirements. Employers reported that 765 vacancies existed as at 31 December 2004, a vacancy rate of 2.25%. This could be considered to be a normal rate, given that there will always be some level of movement due to resignations, retirements and nurses availing of opportunities to change employment and locations. Nurse recruitment is a priority for the Government. The HSE-ERD reported that in the year ending 30 September 2004 an additional 561 nurses were employed in the health service and since 1997 over 6,300 additional nurses have been recruited.

The situation with regard to non-consultant hospital doctor, NCHD, posts, based on the most recent HSE-ERD survey of these, is that employers reported that 35 vacancies out of a total of 4,041 posts existed at 15 March 2005, a vacancy rate of less than 1%.

As I have indicated previously to the Deputy, the responsibility for the management of the workforce in a given Health Service Executive, HSE, area lies exclusively with the chief officer of that area. However, in order to improve recruitment and retention prospects my Department has put in place a number of important initiatives to meet the human resource needs of the health services.

Specific human resources initiatives in key areas such as pay rates, improvements in career structure and enhanced opportunities for professional and career development have and will play a part in increasing staffing levels. Overseas recruitment by health agencies has, over recent years, also contributed significantly to meeting the workforce needs of the health services, particularly in the medical, surgical and nursing professions.

The Irish healthcare service is moving towards a system where there is greater skill mix and grade mix involved in the delivery of healthcare services, therefore the ratio of nurses to patients will be lower. In coming years there will be a higher proportion of support workers including healthcare assistants involved in the delivery of care, freeing up nurses and midwives to concentrate more of their time on higher level duties and expanding the scope of their practice.

It is Government policy to substantially increase the number of consultants throughout the next decade. All non-consultant hospital doctors are given the opportunity of proper skills development on the basis that many in this category will become the consultants of tomorrow.

Given the large numbers of staff employed and the unique nature of the services being delivered, a coherent, strategic approach to workforce and human resource planning needs to be developed further. This should be aligned closely with strategic objectives and the service planning process. Planning for the development of new and existing services in the future must be soundly based on a robust and realistic assessment of the skill and human resource needs to deliver these services. Enhanced skills mix by matching skills to service needs benefits patients and empowers health personnel to reach their full potential. This optimises their contribution to quality care.

The continued implementation of the action plan for people management has a crucial role to play in improving retention and reducing the turnover of skilled staff. In addition, the Health Service Executive will be centrally involved in the development of an integrated workforce planning strategy for the health sector.