Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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Question 73: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the discussions under way with regard to a voluntary redundancy or redeployment scheme for administrative and management staff in the Health Service Executive; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26317/09]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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My Department issued a suite of three circulars to the HSE on 15 May 2009, which provided for the Incentivised Scheme for Early Retirement (8/2009), the Incentivised Career Break Scheme (Circular 9/2009) and the Shorter Working Year (10/2009), as announced by the Minister for Finance in his Supplementary Budget Statement of 7 April 2009.

The purpose of these circulars is to facilitate a permanent, structural reduction in the numbers of staff employed, along with an associated restructuring of organisation and operations, in as timely a manner as possible and in line with the 2009 Employment Control Framework for the Public Health Sector. While the reduction in numbers achieved under these schemes is intended to contribute significant and ongoing savings to the Exchequer, this must be done in a way that does not undermine essential service provision.

The schemes do not apply to grades exempted from the moratorium on recruitment and promotions under the 2009 Employment Control Framework for the Public Health Sector (Medical Consultants, Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Clinical Psychologists, Behaviour Therapists, Counsellors, Social Workers, and Emergency Medical Technicians). This is in order to meet the requirements of integrated health care delivery and, in particular, to address needs in the community in respect of care of the elderly and people with disabilities.

Members of all other grades who meet the eligibility criteria will have access to these schemes, provided the grades/staff groups concerned co-operate with the requirements in regard to redeployment, mobility, skill mix and flexibility which are outlined in the employment control framework: this is designed to allow individuals to avail of the schemes while still protecting services. Because staff who retire under the schemes will not be replaced (save in very exceptional cases), employers must pay particular attention, when considering applications, to the scope that exists within the organisation for reorganising and restructuring work in order to minimise the impact on essential service delivery. Staff co-operation and flexibility in that regard is essential.

My Department has been informed by the HSE that the majority of health service trade unions have recently issued a directive instructing their members not to co-operate with redeployment and reassignment requests from management. The unions have stated their opposition to the moratorium on recruitment and promotions as set out in 2009 Employment Control Framework for the Public Health Sector, referred to above. This instruction from the unions severely restricts the ability of management to organise/restructure work practice and contravenes the qualification criteria for the scheme. As a result, the HSE has suspended all three schemes. However, I understand that applications can still be made to the relevant employer in anticipation of a resolution of the industrial relations issues.

I have been informed that the HSE has had ongoing discussions with the health service unions about a range of issues, including redeployment. However, I understand that these unions will not agree a redeployment-reassignment policy until the suspension of the above schemes is lifted. Redeployment and reassignment are key management requirements for the Public Sector in the Partnership talks with the unions at national level.