Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 339: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if her attention has been drawn to the concern of a growing number of parents and the potential damage that can be inflicted on young children by her decision not to approve the recruitment of temporary cover speech and language therapists across the service in place of therapists on maternity or parental leave or other long-term absences; if she will lift the embargo on such temporary appointments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15834/09]

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 Governments 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. As this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.