Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 988: To ask the Minister for Health the total number of nursing staff employed on an agency basis throughout the public health sector annually in the past three years to date in 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1603/12]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Up to 2011 information on the numbers of agency nursing staff employed across the public health sector was not routinely collected. However, since the introduction of new agency contracts early in 2011, information on the number of agency nursing hours worked has been collated in respect of the HSE services. From 14th March - 30th November 2011 (the latest date for which information is available) the total number of nursing hours purchased under the HSE's agency contracts is 853,350 hours. This equates to approximately 600 WTE posts for this period of time. In addition, at end November 2011, there were 310 WTE staff in the nurse banks operated by the Dublin Academic Teaching Hospitals, which provide supplementary capacity in these hospitals.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 989: To ask the Minister for Health the total number of nursing staff other than agency staff employed throughout the public health sector on a part-time, temporary or otherwise than on permanent basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1604/12]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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The total number of nurses (other than agency nurses) employed in the public health service (by contract type), as at November 2011 (latest data), is as follows:

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 990: To ask the Minister for Health the total number of junior hospital doctors required on an annual basis throughout the public health sector; the extent to which this requirement can be matched to the number of doctors graduating on an annual basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1605/12]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Under the provisions of the Medical Practitioners Act 2007 the Health Service Executive (HSE) is responsible, in cooperation with the medical training bodies and after consultation with the Higher Education Authority, for undertaking appropriate medical workforce planning for the purpose of meeting specialist medical staffing and training needs of the health service on an ongoing basis. Specifically they must assess on an annual basis the number of intern training posts and the number and type of specialist medical training posts required to meet ongoing service requirements. They must also assess on an annual basis the need for and appropriateness of medical posts which are not specialist training or consultant posts. The relevant section of the Act was commenced in 2009 and the first annual assessment, covering the period July 2010 to June 2011 was published in 2010.

The HSE recently published their Annual Assessment of Non-Consultant Hospital Doctor posts for the period July 2011 to June 2012. This comprehensive document includes information on the numbers and types of doctors in training and outlines figures which will guide ongoing specialist training requirements. The report indicates a requirement in 2011/2012 of some 4,000 specialist training posts (563 at intern level, 2,087 at initial specialist training level and 1,374 at higher specialist training level). In addition there are approximately 900 posts required solely for service delivery. This HSE's annual assessment is available on the HSE website at www.hse.ie.