Written answers

Wednesday, 28 September 2011

9:00 pm

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 167: To ask the Minister for Health the total requirement in respect of hospital staff at all levels over the next five years; the extent to which current or anticipated deficiencies have been identified and or resolved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26639/11]

Photo of James ReillyJames Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Workforce planning analysis is complex as Ireland is part of the international market for skilled health professions. In addition workforce planning must now be undertaken in the context of the current economic realities and the Employment Control Framework for the health services. In 2009 my Department and the HSE published 'An Integrated Workforce Planning Strategy for the Health Services, 2009–2012'. Integrated workforce planning was identified as one of the key supports for public service reform by the OECD and is one of the matters to be progressed as part of reforming the public sector under the Transforming Public Service programme. The strategy is designed to ensure integration of workforce planning activity with the broader objectives of financial and service planning in the Irish health and social care system. A copy of the strategy is available at www.dohc.ie/publications The Strategy followed the publication in June 2009 of the report by the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs and FÁS — A Quantitative Tool for Workforce Planning in Healthcare. The report contained workforce planning analysis for selected healthcare occupations and provided a valuable evidence base for workforce planning decisions resulting from policy and demographic changes. The forecasting was undertaken for the period of 2008-2020. A copy of the report is available at www.fas.ie

The HSE will continue to monitor the staffing needs in our hospitals and to fill vacancies while complying with the Employment Control Framework, which is designed to maintain tight control of the cost of providing public services while protecting front-line services as far as possible. The Framework also allows the HSE discretion to fill non-exempted posts on exceptional grounds in order to maintain essential services and to meet priority service change and reconfiguration requirements.

It is not possible to give a precise indication of the requirements in respect of all hospital staff over the next 5 years, in view of the planned reform programme and commitments in the Programme for Government, which will have major implications for our hospitals.

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