Written answers

Thursday, 30 June 2011

Department of Health

Health Service Staff

5:00 am

Photo of Richard Boyd BarrettRichard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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Question 53: To ask the Minister for Health if he will consider lifting the moratorium on recruitment to appoint the staff necessary to run the Primary Care Reimbursement Service in Finglas, Dublin 11; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17874/11]

Photo of James ReillyJames Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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The Health Sector Employment Control Framework 2011-2014 gives effect to Government priorities on employment policy in the public sector and provides that there will be a net reduction in employment of approximately 6,000 WTEs to 2014. The Framework is designed to maintain tight control on the cost of providing public services while protecting front line services as far as possible. There are no plans to relax the terms of the moratorium. However, the Framework also allows for the targeted growth of certain grades which are exempt from the moratorium on recruitment, including Medical Consultants, Physiotherapists and Social Workers, to deliver on key priority services. It also provides for the filling of non-exempt posts on exceptional grounds to maintain essential services and meet priority service change and reorganisation requirements. The HSE is in the process of centralising the administration of the medical card system, as an efficiency measure and to ensure a nationally consistent approach. In order to put the necessary staffing resources in place, staff are being redeployed to Finglas in line with the procedures set out in the Health Service Redeployment Protocol (Chapter 6) contained in the Public Service Agreement 2010-2014. It is recognised in this Protocol that there will be greater need to use redeployment, having regard to the Government moratorium on recruitment in the Public Service. It should also be noted that this Protocol has been agreed between the HSE, health service employers funded by the HSE and trade unions representing staff employed throughout the health services.

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