Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 252: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the average earnings of persons employed in the public health service, overall by main grouping; and the trend in these earnings in each year since 1999. [4287/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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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, including remuneration and other terms and conditions of employment. 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 of course be aware of the range of personnel required to deliver health services and that some services are delivered around the clock. By way of context, he will wish to note that my Department's health service employment census shows a total of 101,513 wholetime equivalent staff, excluding home helps, at end September 2005 employed in different care settings by the Health Service Executive, voluntary hospitals and the intellectual disability services. This equates to almost 120,000 individuals and almost 500 grades. Depending on the grade and the nature of the service delivered, staff may be remunerated on the basis of allowances and other premia pay in addition to basic salary. During the time period referred to by the Deputy, pay levels for staff have been determined under the terms of the social partnership agreements and, in some instances, by special pay awards.