Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 140: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the steps she is taking to secure non-consultant hospital doctor cover for smaller hospitals like Roscommon County Hospital and Portiuncula Hospital, Ballinasloe, County Galway from July 2010; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17509/10]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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Subject to overall parameters set by Government, the Health Service Executive (HSE) has responsibility for determining the composition of its staffing complement. In that regard, it is a matter for the Executive to manage and deploy its human resources to best meet the requirements of its Annual Service Plan for the delivery of health and personal social services to the public. I wish to advise the Deputy that due to industrial action affecting the Health Service Executive, it is not possible for the Executive to supply information in relation to services at the hospitals referred to by him. If this matter remains of continuing concern to you, however, I would invite you to raise it with me again in due course.

Government policy is to increase consultant numbers in the hospital sector with a related decrease in NCHD numbers. The moratorium on recruitment in the health sector is framed so as to provide the necessary level of flexibility to support the implementation of this policy. I understand that the Executive, in order to ensure adequate NCHD staffing levels and continued service delivery, has established a Human Resources and Integrated Services Directorate Group to examine these issues. This Group is currently working on initiatives to ensure that services will continue to be available when the new rotations commence in July 2010. My Department is currently, in conjunction with the Department of Justice Equality and Law Reform; the Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment and the HSE, reviewing visa and work permit arrangements for NCHDs in order to facilitate their recruitment and retention.

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 141: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the discussions that she or her officials have had with the Department of Justice, Equality and Law reform on visa issues relating to non-consultant hospital doctors; the progress made to date on this issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17510/10]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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Officials from my Department have had contacts with and met representatives from the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform; the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and the Health Service Executive recently to discuss visa arrangements and employment permit arrangements for non-EEA Non-Consultant Hospital Doctors (NCHDs). The purpose of the discussions is to put in place arrangements to facilitate, as far as possible, the entry of NCHDs into the State. Related proposals are being prepared with a view to having them in place in advance of the next training rotation which commences in July 2010.

Subject to overall parameters set by Government, the HSE has responsibility for determining the composition of its staffing complement. In that regard, it is a matter for the Executive to manage and deploy its human resources to best meet the requirements of its Annual Service Plan for the delivery of health and personal social services to the public. I am also aware that the Executive, in order to ensure adequate NCHD staffing levels and continued service delivery, has established a Human Resources and Integrated Services Directorate Group to examine these issues. This Group is currently working on initiatives to ensure that services will continue to be available when the new rotations commence in July 2010.