Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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194. To ask the Minister for Health the degree to which comparisons are being made with other jurisdictions in regard to public hospital staffing levels, all grades, with those in this country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48552/13]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Enhancing workforce planning is critical to the successful delivery of the strategic objectives of our public health services.

Under the Strategic Framework for Reform of the Health Service 2012 -2015 my Department is working with the HSE to develop and implement approaches to workforce planning and development that include recruiting and retaining the right mix of staff, training and upskilling the workforce, providing for professional and career development, and creating supportive and healthy workplaces. To inform this process models of practice in other countries, including staffing levels and grades, are being examined.

Ireland is also participating in the EU Joint Action on Workforce Planning, funded under the 2012 Health Programme, which will create a European platform to share good practice and to develop methodologies on forecasting health workforce and skills needs. This three year EU Joint Action will have a positive impact on: developing forecasting methodologies on health workforce needs and effective workforce planning; improving EU wide data on the health workforce; and on the exchange of good practice in planning methodology.