Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Question 147: To ask the Minister for Health and Children her plans to reduce the number at management level in the Health Service Executive in accordance with recommendations in the Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes Report; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39306/09]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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The Employment Control Framework, which was agreed in March of this year sets out the overall policy for staffing levels in the health sector for 2009. The Framework incorporates the general moratorium on recruitment in the public sector. However, the moratorium has been modulated to minimise the impact on front line services and, in particular, on areas such as disability, services for older people, and child care.

As part of the Health Estimate for 2009, I announced that there was to be a 3% reduction in management/administration grades in the health sector in 2009. This reduction is encompassed within the Framework. The reduction in management/administration grades in 2009 to the end of September, the latest data available, is 341.52 wholetime equivalents. The HSE has outlined to my Department that it expects the 3% target to be reached by the end of the year, as planned. In addition, the Government will be considering a number of options in framing public expenditure projections for 2010.