Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Question 218: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number of community welfare officers, CWOs, and superintendent CWOs that have applied to the national transfer unit for a transfer; the number of applications finalised; if applicants have been advised of their place on a panel; and if applicants will be offered positions as they arise. [10246/08]

Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Question 220: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if the Health Service Executive's national transfer policy for management and administrative staff continues to apply to community welfare officers and superintendent community welfare officers, CWOs; and if not, the reason these staff members have been excluded. [10264/08]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 218 and 220 together.

Over 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 number 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 the 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 to the Deputy.