Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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67. To ask the Minister for Health if due consideration was given to the impact on the health service and on nursing and midwifery services in particular of the Health Service Executive's effective recruitment freeze before it was implemented; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13687/16]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The HSE has focused on the recruitment of additional front line staff to support service delivery and continues to do so, as additional resources have become available. From the end of April 2014 to the end of April 2016 the number of nursing and midwifery staff working in the public health service increased by 1,275 in whole time equivalent terms to 35,925.

Recent measures taken in relation to service areas in the HSE remaining within budget have been portrayed, incorrectly, as a recruitment freeze. The HSE has introduced interim recruitment measures to ensure that service providers operate within their pay budgets. These measures do not impact on a hospital’s ability to recruit where funding exists to facilitate that recruitment; for example in the case of replacement posts or where funding has been allocated for particular roles under the HSE service plan. Recruitment can also take place in areas of critical care and emergency services.

The HSE has clarified that while restrictions have been introduced in the acute hospital sector there is a mechanism in place for Hospital Group CEOs to agree priority recruitment of key posts on an exceptional basis. This includes, for example, Emergency Department staffing, in accordance with the agreement reached between the HSE and the INMO earlier this year.

The HSE are currently working with my Department on the preparation of their 2016 Pay and Numbers Strategy. This has involved the development of detailed workforce plans at hospital and community service level. The interim recruitment measures have been put in place by the HSE, while these plans are being developed.