Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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465. To ask the Minister for Health his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding staffing at Kerry General Hospital. [40401/14]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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In recent years, the Government decided that the numbers employed across the public service must be reduced in order to meet fiscal and budgetary targets. To that end, a moratorium on recruitment in the Public Service was introduced in March 2009.

The Deputy will be aware that the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform announced in the recent Budget, that in 2015, Departments and Agencies will be given greater autonomy to manage their own staffing levels within their pay allocations. This measure will allow the HSE to hire more front line staff on fixed term contracts, thus reducing reliance on agency staff. It is anticipated that this will lead to pay savings due to the increased costs associated with hiring agency staff and will also enhance the quality of care available to patients and clients through improved continuity of care.

In relation to the Deputy's particular query regarding staffing levels in Kerry, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to examine the issue and respond to him directly.