Pádraig Rice (Cork South-Central, Social Democrats)
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330. To ask the Minister for Health her views on a memo issued by the chief executive of the HSE to regional executive officers on 14 February 2025 regarding extended hours/days of work; her views on whether this instruction is in breach of the HSE’s responsibility to engage with staff and their union representatives through the framework agreement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8546/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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The Programme for Government contains commitments to ensuring that a wider variety of healthcare services are available to the public in the evenings and weekends. In line with these commitments, the HSE CEO, Bernard Gloster, has begun the process of transitioning our health service to a 7-day service.

A 7-day service will help to reduce our trolley numbers; will reduce the time patients spend in hospital unnecessarily; will speed up time for access to care; and can help in giving people alternative access to services in their communities and outside of acute settings.

The CEO, in his Memo, simply outlined the provisions available in contracts that are relevant to delivering a 7-day service and has asked regional leadership to begin the process of preparing for a transition to extended working week.

The HSE met with health sector unions last week and confirmed their intention to begin a broader process of consultation and engagement. The HSE will take on board the concerns outlined by unions and work to alleviate them through engagement.