Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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95. To ask the Minister for Health if the Health Service Executive has suspended recruitment of doctors, nurses and midwives in hospitals until further notice, given the significant number of vacant posts across the health system; if so, when the moratorium will be lifted; and the levels of additional recruitment across all sectors of the Health Service Executive he expects in 2016. [13734/16]

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 total number of consultants working in the public health service increased by 175, the number of NCHDs increased by 862 and the number of nursing and midwifery staff increased by 1275 in whole time equivalent terms.

Recent measures taken in relation to service areas in the HSE remaining within budget have been portrayed, incorrectly, as a recruitment freeze. 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 serviceplan. 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.

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