Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

291. To ask the Minister for Health the changes that will be made to staffing recruitment under the winter plan 2020-21; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27855/20]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

In response to the Winter Plan the HSE is developing robust resourcing and recruitment strategies to meet the anticipated staffing requirements. This includes building recruitment capacity both within and external to the organisation together with extending the recruitment reach both nationally and internationally.  

The HSE are committed to delivering on the HSE Winter Plan 2020/2021, recognising the challenges that exist, particularly in the area of staffing resources which is not unique to Ireland but also exists internationally. A Taskforce has been established within the HSE whose work it is to set out the resourcing and recruitment strategy for the HSE Winter Plan.  This work is ongoing within the HSE and includes the following:

- Full exploitation of exiting staffing panels across both the Public and Civil Service;

- Significant international recruitment for all grades through existing and recruitment procurement frameworks;

- Implementation of an external managed recruitment service provider to increase recruitment capacity and to extend the recruitment reach nationally and internationally. This provider is currently being secured through a procurement process

It should also be noted that this recruitment has already commenced, for example for Test and Trace.