Shane McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Question 71: To ask the Minister for Health and Children her views in response to the recent statement by the chief executive of Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin that a reduction in whole time equivalents would have massive service implications, unacceptable safety risks and inefficiencies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17718/07]

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 83: To ask the Minister for Health and Children her views on reports that Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin has been directed to bring its number of staff down to approved levels and that this will have serious implications for the ability of the hospital to continue to provide quality care; her further views on reports that the Health Service Executive has ordered other hospitals and voluntary organisations to reduce their staff numbers by 1000; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17585/07]

Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 102: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the reason funding was reduced during 2007 for Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17717/07]

Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 120: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number of staff to be let go at Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children, Crumlin following a recent letter from the Health Service Executive to the hospital; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17716/07]

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Question 145: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the jobs that will be lost at Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin following the direction from the Health Service Executive; the services these cutbacks will effect; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17644/07]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 71, 83, 102, 120 and 145 together.

I wish to state at the outset that, by the end of this year, there will be substantially more staff working in delivering frontline health care services than at the start. In this context, discussions are ongoing between my Department and the Department of Finance in relation to new posts required this year to reflect policy initiatives and service developments throughout the health service.

It is a long-standing feature of the public service that both pay levels and serving numbers have been subject to a range of control mechanisms to manage Exchequer costs. The Government needs to have available to it a clear understanding of both the numbers and grade make-up of the various sectors of the public service. Such information is vital in circumstances where the Government is seeking to manage its overall fiscal, particularly expenditure, policy and in assessing future public service pension liabilities.

In December 2006 a revised employment ceiling for the health service of 108,000 expressed in whole time equivalents was sanctioned. This represented an increase of 10,450 over the previous approved ceiling. In conveying this sanction, the HSE was asked to ensure that staff costs are controlled and managed to best effect, that an appropriate balance is achieved between clinical and non-clinical posts, that there is a better skill mix within the clinical areas and that staffing levels provide cost-effective and safe/quality care to patients.

Sanction for the revised employment ceiling of 108,000 was, however, subject to the condition that a revised employment ceiling of 107,000 would apply with effect from the end of 2007, i.e. an implicit reduction of 1,000 posts is to be secured through better management of staff resources. This represents an effort to increase efficiency of staff resources by less than 1 per cent, even as staff levels for service developments are being increased substantially.

I am aware of ongoing, routine discussions between the HSE and Our Lady's Children's Hospital, Crumlin in relation to budgetary performance. As part of these discussions the hospital has been advised of its requirement to deliver services in line with the Service Plan and to operate within its employment ceiling. The HSE is working closely with the Hospital with a view to ensuring that the delivery of services is in line with the Hospital's Service Plan and that the Hospital operates within its employment ceiling.