Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of social work teams employed by the Health Service Executive nationally in each of the past three years; the number of social workers, social work team leaders, principal social workers, aftercare workers, access workers, child care workers, family support works and administration staff employed within these social work teams for the past three years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11812/13]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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Figures supplied by the HSE, from its census of employment in the public health and social care sector, indicate that the number of whole-time equivalent (WTE) social workers, social work team leaders, senior social workers, principal social workers, social care staff and family support workers within social work teams for the past three years was as follows:

The census numbers reflect the outcome of a process of reclassification of social workers within the HSE into various care groups, including children and families, as part of the process of establishing the Child and Family Support Agency separate from the HSE.

My Department has requested additional information from the HSE with regard to the other staff groups identified and I will forward this information to the Deputy when it is received.

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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To ask the Minister for Health the way in which the Working Time Directive 2003/88/EC directive of the EU is applied to non-consultant hospital doctors, to specialist hospital consultants, to allied health professionals based in hospitals and to nursing staff in hospitals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11780/13]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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The Government is committed to achieving compliance with the European Working Time Directive, and related Irish legislation in respect of non-consultant hospital doctors by 2014. I have emphasised to the Health Service Executive the high priority the Government and I attach to this issue.

The HSE's National Service Plan 2013 states that there will be a particular focus in the acute hospital service on the achievement of compliance with the Directive amongst the non-consultant hospital doctor workforce. National Standards for reducing non-consultant hospital doctors hours have been issued to hospital managers and clinical directors. These specify a series of compliance targets and timescales and will be used to assess progress on a site by site basis, The HSE has also recently established a national group chaired by a senior executive to bring a clear and urgent focus to implementation of the Directive, assessment of performance and site by site accountability for change. The hours of other healthcare workers are in compliance with the Directive.

The Organisation of Working Time Act, 1997 provided for implementation of the 1993 Working Time Directive in respect of most workers, including healthcare workers. Non-Consultant hospital doctors however had been excluded from this Directive and consequently they were excluded from Part II of the Act, which provides for minimum rest periods, a maximum working week of 48 hours averaged over a reference period, and other matters relating to working time.

Directive 2003/88/EC consolidated Directive 93/104/EC and Directive 2000/34/EC. The latter Directive had reversed the exclusion of non-consultant hospital doctors, and provided for a phased reduction of their maximum average weekly working hours, with full compliance to be achieved by August 2009. The European Communities (Organisation of Working Time) (Activities of Doctors in Training) Regulations 2004 transposed the EU Working Time Directive for non-consultant hospital doctors in Ireland. It provided for:

- the phased reduction in the average working week to 48 hours;

- 11 hours rest every 24 hours or equivalent compensatory rest before return to work; and

- 35 hours continuous rest per week or twice a fortnight or 59 hours continuous rest per fortnight.

The consolidating 2003 Directive recognises that certain activities may require continuity of service and allows for the provision of compensatory rest where this arises, subject to the workers concerned being afforded appropriate protection. It specifically identifies doctors in training as a relevant category. In 2010, the 2004 transposing Regulations were amended to specifically recognise collective agreements permitted under the Directive between the two sides of industry, such as that reached between the HSE and the IMO which provides for non-consultant hospital doctors working for 24 hours, subject to compensatory rest being granted.