Written answers

Wednesday, 29 November 2006

Department of Health and Children

Bullying in the Workplace

9:00 pm

Photo of Paul GogartyPaul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)
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Question 165: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if an investigation has been or will be carried out in relation to allegations of ongoing bullying of trainees and staff within the Tullamore ambulance service over the past 18 months; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40775/06]

Photo of Paul GogartyPaul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)
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Question 166: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the procedures in place to deal with complaints of bullying within the Health Service Executive; the specific systems in place relating to ambulance services; if she is confident that staff are aware of and act of such procedures, particularly within the Tullamore ambulance service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40776/06]

Photo of Paul GogartyPaul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)
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Question 167: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the reason files relating to complaints of bullying within the Tullamore ambulance service went missing in the past few months; the efforts made to trace these lost files or to ascertain whether or not they were deliberately removed; if there are plans to notify existing and past staff members that said files have gone missing and to resubmit complaints; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40777/06]

Photo of Paul GogartyPaul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)
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Question 168: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the powers that exist within the Health Service Executive to investigate individuals have deliberately lost or stolen files relating to complaints of bullying within a particular arm of the health service, including for example an ambulance service; the penalties that can be applied should such individuals be found to have interfered with due process; if there are recent cases where such investigations and penalties have been applied; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40778/06]

Photo of Paul GogartyPaul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)
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Question 169: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if studies have been carried out in relation to the impact on patient care and public safety of ongoing harassment and bullying of staff working in already stressful environments, such as an ambulance service; if such situation require additional monitoring due to the primacy of the patients involved and the public safety issues; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40779/06]

Photo of Mary HarneyMary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 165 to 169, inclusive, together.

Over 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 health care 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 health care 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 matters raised by the Deputy. My Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to have the matters investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.

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