Tony Gregory (Dublin Central, Independent)
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Question 118: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number of social workers employed by the Health Service Executive in Dublin's north east inner city; the number of vacancies that exist for same; the plans in train in view of the HSE embargo on recruitment to employ sufficient social workers to fulfil the role for the protection of children at most risk and in need of state intervention; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28362/08]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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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 provide information regarding the number of social worker posts employed within the health service.

There is no HSE embargo on recruitment. A recruitment pause was put in place in September 2007 by the HSE to facilitate the delivery of services on budget in accordance with the provisions of the 2007 National Service Plan. This temporary pause in recruitment ended on 31st December 2007.

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