Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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Question 51: To ask the Minister for Health the estimated number and cost of re-employing staff following the conclusion if the early retirement scheme at the end of February; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8357/12]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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I wish firstly to clarify that there is currently no early retirement scheme available in the public health sector. The 'grace period' during which the calculation of public service pensions is unaffected by the pay reductions applied under the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Act 2009 expires on 29 February 2012.

The cumulative impact of staff reductions, and particularly those occurring before the end of the present "Grace Period", together with reduced financial resources, represents a significant challenge for the health system in delivering services in 2012. The HSE's National Service Plan, which approved recently, sets out the actions to be taken to address these challenges. The priority is to reform how health services are delivered in order to ensure a more productive and cost-effective health system.

The HSE is currently finalising detailed regional contingency plans, whose focus is on maintaining essential frontline services such as emergency departments, intensive care and maternity services as well as addressing the service areas identified for priority development under the National Service Plan. The plans reflect the fact that the number of staff leaving varies from region to region and from service to service. These have been the subject of a series of discussions with my Department in recent weeks. Briefings with staff, unions, public representatives and other stakeholders are also being conducted.

The contingency plans make use of measures under the Public Service Agreement to achieve increased flexibility in relation to work practices and rosters, redeployment and other changes to achieve more efficient delivery of services. Some management structures and services will be amalgamated and streamlined. Cross-cover arrangements will be put in place wherever possible and where clinical management numbers have been reduced. Other measures will involve the filling of some key vacancies as part of a targeted investment and recruitment response.

A limited amount of funding (in the order of €16m) has been allocated in the National Service Plan to replace some critical posts where there will be gaps in essential frontline services. Local contingency plans are focusing only on the replacement of key essential posts that cannot be filled through other means such as reorganisation of services and reallocation of responsibilities.