Written answers

Thursday, 10 July 2008

Department of Health and Children

Health Service Staff

4:00 pm

Photo of James ReillyJames Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Question 154: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the position regarding the proposed Health Service Executive staff redundancy programme; the number and categories of staff involved; the projected cost of the programme; when she will proceed with the programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28743/08]

Photo of Mary HarneyMary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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As the Taoiseach announced yesterday the Government believes that a properly planned and managed voluntary redundancy scheme could have an important role to play in helping to streamline management within the HSE and, as a result, in improving the delivery of health services to patients. Such a scheme would need to be built upon a clearly delineated organisation structure and the associated human resource requirements. It would also need to demonstrate that it will deliver value for money, having regard to other options such as natural wastage and the scope for re-deployment. However, it is agreed that a targeted scheme could deliver significant benefits in terms of a much streamlined and integrated management structure within the HSE.

My Department will commence work immediately with the Department of Finance to develop proposals for a targeted voluntary early retirement scheme, the terms of which will be agreed between myself and the Minister for Finance and applied in the HSE as soon as practical. At this very early stage concrete figures on numbers and costs are not available. In accordance with established practice in the public service, any such scheme would operate on a voluntary basis and would require the approval of the Minister for Finance. HSE will hold discussions with the relevant staff associations when the proposal is finalised.

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