Michael D'Arcy (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 298: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she has sanctioned employment as nursing staff of persons who have completed their training under the Health Service Executive's programme introduced in 2002 to allow hospital administration staff and porters train as nurses; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30083/09]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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In order to implement savings measures on public service numbers, the Government decided that, with effect from 27 March 2009 to end 2010, no post in the public sector, however arising, may be filled by recruitment, promotion, or payment of an allowance for the performance of duties at a higher grade. The decision applies to all grades of permanent and temporary staff, including nursing, notwithstanding a number of specific exemptions, some of which are highlighted below. A HSE circular has issued which gives effect to the Government decision in the public health services and other specific aspects of the employment control framework for the health services.

The Government decision has been modulated to ensure that key services are maintained insofar as possible in the health services, particularly in respect of children at risk, older people and persons with a disability. The HSE will be focussing on the scope that exists within the health services for reorganising and restructuring of work in order to minimise the impact on essential service delivery. The redeployment and reassignment of existing staff will also support the reorientation of care from hospitals to the community to facilitate the development of integrated care. It is seeking a high level of flexibility from staff and unions to achieve this.

In addition, the employment control framework specifically exempts the following front line grades in the health sector 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. The framework also includes provision for the creation of 225 new development posts this year for cancer and disability services. 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.

The HSE operates a sponsorship scheme for eligible and experienced public service employees who wish to train as nurses/midwives. This scheme was introduced to provide a career development pathway for health care assistants and other support staff who are involved in the delivery of care to patients and clients of the public health service. While these students were undertaking the nursing degree programme they retained their substantive posts and are paid accordingly. There are forty seven students in this cohort who have signed sponsorship contracts which require them to work for their sponsoring employer for a minimum of five years. These student nurses are now due to graduate and register as nurses. The HSE is in discussion with my Department about the implications for this scheme of the moratorium and further information has been sought ahead of making a submission to the Department of Finance on the matter.