Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 339: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the areas within the health service most deficient in terms of staff numbers at present; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3262/06]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 342: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the number of persons employed directly or indirectly in the delivery of the entire health services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3267/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 339 and 342 together.

Under the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive has responsibility to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. This includes responsibility for the management of human resources and determining the appropriate staffing mix required to deliver its service plan priorities within approved employment ceilings. The parliamentary affairs division of the executive has therefore been asked to respond directly to the Deputy in regard to the issues raised. The Deputy will be aware however of the substantial increases in health service staffing over recent years in line with service developments. Further information is given in the following paragraph on overall increases and in regard to increases in numbers of key personnel.

My Department's health service employment census encompasses staff employed by the Health Service Executive, the voluntary hospitals and some intellectual disability agencies. The health service employment census shows a total of 101,513 wholetime equivalent staff, excluding home helps, at end September 2005. This compares with a total of 81,513 at end December 2000 and represents an increase of 20,000 or 24.5%. There has been an increase of 1,511 or 26.5% in medical and dental personnel, an increase of 5,701 or 19.5% in nursing personnel and an increase of 6,052 or 79.4% in health and social care personnel over end-2000 figures.