Tony Gregory (Dublin Central, Independent)
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Question 212: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if the community ophthalmologist employed elsewhere by the Health Service Executive will be sanctioned to take up their appointment to the Rathdown Road Clinic in Dublin 7 following their recent selection; if she will ensure that this appointment will not be held up by the HSE recruitment embargo; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30716/07]

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 213: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the reason the recently appointed community ophthalmologist at Rathdown Road Clinic has not been permitted to take up the post due to the Health Service Executive recruitment embargo. [30719/07]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 212 and 213 together.

Almost 130,000 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.

The current recruitment pause is a temporary measure initiated as part of the HSE financial break-even plan and will be reviewed at the end of this month. In any instance where a critical or essential vacancy arises it may be filled through redeployment of existing staff by the line manager or re-assignment of responsibilities based on assessment of priority need.

Notwithstanding this, the HSE recognises that there are some circumstances where appointment of staff may be necessary in frontline services. Accordingly, a process has been put in place to evaluate, monitor and approve requests for derogation from the general recruitment pause. A group has been established which meets weekly to consider such applications.