Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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656. To ask the Minister for Health if there are officials in his Department or in the Health Service Executive that are responsible for medical manpower planning; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5259/14]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Under the provisions of the Medical Practitioners Act 2007 it is the responsibility of the Health Service Executive (HSE), in co-operation with the medical training bodies and after consultation with the Higher Education Authority, to undertake appropriate medical workforce planning for the purpose of meeting specialist medical staffing and training needs of the health service on an ongoing basis, and to assess on an annual basis the number of intern training posts and the number and type of specialist medical training posts required by the health service. Since 2009 a Medical Education and Training Unit has been in place in the HSE which inter alia undertakes these activities. My Department, through its Workforce Planning Unit, provides policy guidance to support the Executive in the performance of its functions as set out in the 2007 Act.