Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Question 554: To ask the Minister for Health the details of applications made for appointments by the Health Information Quality Authority from 1 January 2010 to 29 September 2010; the reasons the applications were made; if they were sanctioned by him and if they were in compliance with the framework issued by him on 27 March 2009. [34058/11]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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The directive of March 27th 2009 referred to by the Deputy provided that no public service post, however arising, could be filled by recruitment, promotion or payment of an allowance for the performance of duties at a higher grade. Any exceptions to this principle required the prior sanction of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. Following critical analysis by my Department of a detailed business case supplied by the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) in relation to its expanding role, sanction was sought and received from the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform in 2009 for a partial exemption from the moratorium in relation to specific posts in the Authority.

An Employment Control Framework for the period 2010-2012 was subsequently introduced. In recognition of the expanding role of the Authority and its associated requirement for additional staff the Framework authorised the Authority to recruit up to maximum of 203 Whole Time Equivalents subject to the approval of my Department. is authorisation was maintained in the revised Framework which governs the period 2011-2014.

My Department engaged in detailed negotiations with HIQA during the course of 2010 in relation to additional staffing requirements to fulfil its new responsibilities of registration and inspection of services for children, older people and people with disabilities. A number of posts were approved in accordance with the terms agreed with the Department for Public Expenditure and Reform.