James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Question 16: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the specific grades exempt from the moratorium on recruitment during 2009; the specific grades exempt from the moratorium on recruitment during 2010; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24979/10]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Question 17: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the period during which the moratorium on recruitment will apply; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24980/10]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Question 18: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number of staff the health service will be reduced by as part of the moratorium on recruitment; the timeframe for same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24981/10]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 16 to 18, inclusive, together.

The Government has made clear that a critical part of its strategy to restore the public finances is to achieve sustainability in the cost of delivering public services relative to State revenues. To help achieve this goal, it will be necessary to restructure and reorganise the public service and to reduce public service numbers over the coming years. This requires that the moratorium on recruitment and promotion in the health service will continue to apply until the numbers have fallen to the level set out in the Employment Control Framework (ECF) for the health sector. The ECF for 2010-2012 gives effect to the Government decision on employment policy in the public sector. It provides that there will be a net reduction in employment to 2012. This includes a target reduction in numbers in 2010 to achieve the overall reduction of 6,000 from March 2009 to the end 2012 and consequential pay roll savings. Based on numbers reductions already achieved in 2009, the net target reduction (for the Health Sector) to end 2012 is 4,560 WTE (or 1,520 per annum). The 2010 ECF also provides for the creation of 265 posts for the implementation of the Ryan Report. The grades exempted from the moratorium/special provisions under the 2009 ECF were as follows:

Hospital Consultants – any new post of hospital consultant was generally to be created by the suppression of two non-consultant hospital doctor (NCHD) posts;

Speech and Language Therapist, Occupational Therapist, Physiotherapist – up to 450 therapists;

Clinical Psychologist, Behavioural Therapist, Counsellor – up to 250 new posts;

Social Worker – up to 270 Social Worker posts; and

Emergency Medical Technicians – up to 30 further posts may have been created and filled.

In addition, special provisions applied in relation to Clinical Engineering Technicians, Dosimetrists, Physicists, and Radiation Therapists, which are specialist grades under the National Cancer Control Programme.

Under the ECF 2010-2012 grades exempted from the moratorium/special provisions are as follows:

Medical Consultants – any new post of hospital consultant will generally be created by the suppression of two NCHD posts;

Speech and Language Therapist, Occupational Therapist, Physiotherapist – replacement posts should be filled and up to 380 posts in addition to the Dec 09 outturn;

Clinical Psychologist, Behavioural Therapist, Counsellor – replacement posts should be filled and up to 230 in addition to the Dec 09 outturn;

Social Worker – replacement posts should be filled and up to 300 in addition to the Dec 09 outturn;

Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) – where it is necessary to support the reconfiguration of emergency services between hospitals and there is no scope to meet the needs arising from the redeployment of existing EMTs;

Psychiatric Nurses – up to 100 posts where they are required to support the implementation of A Vision for Change;

Public Health Nurses – up to 70 posts to facilitate the recruitment of student public health nurses;

Nurse Sponsorship Scheme – up to 30 posts to facilitate the appointment successful students from this sponsorship scheme; and

National Cancer Control Programme posts – up to 79 new posts for service developments and

Clinical engineering technician

Dosimetrist

Physicist

Radiation Therapist.