Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 252: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number of people currently at grade VIII in the Health Service Executive; the cost of their salaries to date in 2006; and the number of employees who were on a similar grade prior to the health boards being abolished. [37361/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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Almost 120,000 people work full-time or part-time in our public health services. In recent years, the Government's ongoing high level of investment in health has achieved and maintained significant increases in the numbers of doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals employed in the public health services. The Government has also invested heavily in the education and training of such personnel in order to secure a good supply of graduates to provide for the healthcare needs of the population into the future.

Subject to overall parameters set by Government, the Health Service Executive has the responsibility for determining the composition of its staffing complement. In that regard, it is a matter for the Executive to manage and deploy its human resources to best meet the requirements of its Annual Service Plan for the delivery of health and personal social services to the public. The Executive is the appropriate body to consider the matter raised by the Deputy. My Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to have the matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.