Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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145. To ask the Minister for Health the extent to which medical, nursing or consultant posts remain to be filled throughout the public health services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8459/15]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform announced in budget 2014 that he intended to delegate greater autonomy to Departments and Agencies to manage their own staffing levels. The change from the application of a rigid employment control framework to one operating strictly within allocated pay frameworks allows for recruitment where it is determined that this can achieve more economical service delivery.

The HSE is currently focused on reducing nursing agency expenditure through the appointment of full time staff. The HSE plans to increase the substantive General Nursing Workforce establishment by 550 in real terms during 2015 - from 30,500 to 31,050. It also plans to increase the substantive Mental Health Nursing Workforce establishment by 372 in real terms during 2015 - from 4,447 to 4,819. The HSE National Recruitment Service is pursuing the recruitment of nurses as a priority.

I expect the new pay scales for new entrant consultants agreed between Management and the IMO at the LRC on 7th January 2015 will help us to keep more of our medical graduates at home and persuade consultants who are working overseas to return to Ireland. I want this new package to send a strong message to Irish medical graduates that pay and also working conditions are improving again and that they can be part of the health recovery in Ireland. The recruitment of additional consultants is a priority and arrangements are in train to recruit consultants. A joint HSE/Public Service Appointment project team has been appointed to progress the recruitment process for consultants.

I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly on the specific details sought. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.