Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 541: To ask the Minister for Health the total reduction or increase in administrative staff in the Health Service Executive since the 9 of March 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33171/11]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Data on employment in the public health service is compiled on a monthly basis. The number of Management/Administrative staff at end February 2011 and end September 2011 is set out in the following table.

While I recognise that the public health service, as with all health systems, requires managers and administrators to run effectively, nonetheless, I am of the view that there is scope for a reduction in the number of management/administrative staff in the health sector. This is necessary to ensure that we have streamlined and effective structures and also to enable staffing resources to be focused to the maximum extent on front-line patient care. The Government is committed in line with the Programme for Government to reducing numbers in the Civil/Public Service in the period to 2015, while protecting front-line services as far as possible.