Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Question 212: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the effect of the recruitment ban in the Health Service Executive on the acute hospital services and community health services in County Louth; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16406/09]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The Government decided to introduce a moratorium across the public service, with effect from 27 March 2009 to end 2010. This means that no post in the health sector, however arising, may be filled by recruitment, promotion, nor may the payment of an allowance for the performance of duties at a higher grade be made. The HSE will be focussing on the redeployment of existing staff to assure frontline services are protected. It is seeking a high level of flexibility from staff and unions to achieve this. In addition, certain posts in the health sector may be filled, as outlined below. The employment control framework specifically exempts the following front line posts from the moratorium: Medical Consultants, Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Clinical Psychologists, Behaviour Therapists, Counsellors, Social Workers, and Emergency Medical Technicians. The framework actually allows for a growth in the number of those posts within the overall approved employment ceiling (111,800 wtes) for the health sector.

In line with the new contractual arrangements agreed with Medical Consultants and to provide for a consultant-led service, the number of hospital consultants will be increased but there will be compensatory savings by suppressing Non-Consultant Hospital Doctor (NCHD) posts. The focus on these key grades is in line with existing Government policy on the prioritisation of certain development areas, for which significant funding has already been provided. The overall result will be to assist in the reorientation of health employment to services delivered in primary and community care. As announced in Budget 2009, there will also be a 3% reduction in management and administrative grades in sections of the health sector. This will streamline management structures in the health service and will further reduce health employment in 2009.

As this is a service matter, it has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.