James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Question 185: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the details on the FÁS health care skills analysis as requested by her; when FÁS were asked to do this; when it will be completed; the terms of reference for same; if it will be published; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40007/09]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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The report A Quantitative Tool for Workforce Planning in Healthcare, which was undertaken by the Skills and Labour Market Research Unit in FÁS, was commissioned in December 2007 and the research began in February 2008.

The purpose of the FÁS workforce planning study of 12 health care grades was to inform the workforce planning analysis of the Department of Health and Children and the Health Service Executive. The work of FÁS was overseen by a liaison group which assisted FÁS and reported to the Joint DOHC/HSE Working Group. The terms of reference were as follows:

FÁS will undertake an analysis of supply and demand for the specified health care grades

This will include an analysis of relevant factors affecting supply and demand for the individual grades. These factors could include the demand and availability of the grades internationally, but particularly in the UK.

It is anticipated that both quantitative and qualitative data will be collected for the purpose of the study

If insufficient data is available through the secondary sources available to FÁS, primary data collection in terms of surveys will take place. The Department and the HSE will provide the necessary support to FÁS to compile secondary data.

FÁS will be required to make recommendations on the workforce planning implications for the ten professions. This will involve looking at UK and wider international availability of these professions and current immigration inflows of professionals.

A timeframe of 6-9 months is estimated for the project.

HSE representatives will shadow FÁS staff during this study to allow for the transfer of skills from FÁS to the HSE thus increasing workforce planning capacity in the HSE.

12 Professions:

Medical Consultants

General practitioner

Specialist in public health medicine

Speech and language therapist

Physiotherapist

Nurse and midwife

Health care assistant

Home help

Social care worker

Clinical psychologist

Medical physicist

Radiation therapist

The objectives of the study were (i) to develop a quantitative model which can be used beyond the project as a tool for assessment of different policy scenarios relevant in the context of the Governments' health care workforce planning; and (ii) to simulate the model and assess, in quantitative terms, the balance between the current and expected future demand and supply of skills under different sets of assumptions about the model parameters as defined by the liaison group.

The report was published on the 17th of June 2009 and provides a valuable evidence base for workforce planning decisions in respect of the twelve health care occupations covered by the study. It has attempted to take an economy wide approach including the private sector to assess the total demand for the occupations. The report outlines a number of workforce projections for some grades. For some occupations, there are forecasted shortages while others show an excess supply. The report can be used as a tool for future workforce planning projections. It is available on the website of the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs.