Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

844. To ask the Minister for Health if he will consider implementing the full national Hepatitis C strategy in lifting the moratorium on the recruitment of nurses to increase nurses dealing with Hepatitis C cases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33252/14]

Peter Mathews (Dublin South, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

892. To ask the Minister for Health if he will consider lifting the moratorium on recruitment of public sector staff to expand the number of Hepatitis C nurses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33378/14]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 844 and 892 together.

The Government has decided that the numbers employed across the public service must be reduced in order to meet fiscal and budgetary targets and introduced a moratorium on recruitment in the Public Service in March 2009. The health sector must make its contribution to that reduction.

In order to mitigate the impact on frontline services of the reduction in employment numbers, the priority is to reform how health services are delivered in order to ensure a more productive and cost effective health system. The revised working arrangements provided for in the Haddington Road Agreement are a pivotal element in this regard. It should be noted that, subject to approval by senior managers, arrangements are in place in the HSE to allow the recruitment of staff where it has been established that there is an urgent service requirement.