Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 180: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the number of psychology, speech and language therapy and occupational therapist posts to be filled throughout County Kildare at the present time; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15705/06]

Tim O'Malley (Limerick East, Progressive Democrats)
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The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, my Department has requested the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 181: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the number of psychology, speech and language therapy and occupational therapist posts to be filled here at the present time; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15706/06]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 184: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the number of professional vacancies currently unfilled throughout the health services; her plans to address the issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15709/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 181 and 184 together.

Employment information collected by my Department refers to numbers employed rather than to vacancies. As the information requested by the Deputy relates to the delivery of health and social care services and human resource management issues which are matters for the Health Service Executive, the parliamentary affairs division of the executive has been asked to respond directly to the Deputy in regard to the information sought.

The Deputy may wish to note that my Department's health service employment census, which encompasses staff employed by the Health Service Executive, the voluntary hospitals and some intellectual disability agencies, shows a total of 101,978 whole-time equivalent staff, excluding home helps, at end December 2005. This compares with a total of 67,814 at end December 1997 and represents an increase of 34,137 or 50.32%. There has been an increase of 2,290 or 46.06% in medical and dental personnel, an increase of 7,902 or 28.9% in nursing personnel and an increase of 8,014 or 134.98% in health and social care professional, including psychology, speech and language therapy and occupational therapy, personnel over end 1997 figures.

Numbers employed in the specific health and social care professions referred to by the Deputy are set out in the following table.