Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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598. To ask the Minister for Health how the recruitment embargo will be managed to protect front line delivery, while other cost control measures are evolved; whether measures such as exempting the appointment of dentists, while continuing the embargo on dental nurses are self-defeating as one requires the other to deliver service. [46572/23]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy is aware, on October 13^th, the HSE CEO announced a recruitment pause on all Grades that have grown beyond their recruitment targets for 2023. This is an extension of the pause on the recruitment of new and replacement staff in all grades in the Management and Administration category, announced a number of weeks ago.

The recruitment pause will include:

- Management and Administration posts

- Patient and client care (attendants/healthcare assistants/home help)

- Non-Consultant Hospital Doctors

- General Support

The recruitment pause is part of a suite of control measures, including an instruction to reduce expenditure on agency staff and management consultants across the HSE and Section 38 organisations.

Many areas of the HSE have been recruiting more staff than they are funded for. If this level of growth, in excess of budgeted targets, was allowed to continue uncontrolled, it would have significant financial implications for 2023 and following years, and adversely impact on the HSE’s ability to recruit essential patient facing staff next year.

This recruitment pause will exclude the following categories of staff, which have not exceeded their recruitment targets for 2023:

- Approved Consultant Posts & GP Training Posts

- Nursing and Midwifery

- Dentists & Orthodontists

- Health & Social Care Professionals

- National Ambulance Service Pre-Hospital Care

Apart from these above posts, and a certain number of posts in other categories which are at offer/contract stage, there will be no further growth in health sector workforce in 2023.

As there are element of the Parliamentary Question that relates to an operational issues, it is a matter for the HSE. However, members of the Oireachtas are advised that the HSE is currently not in a position to answer PQs due to industrial action. It is hoped that normal services will resume soon. In the meantime, this Department will continue to refer PQs to HSE for their direct reply as soon as possible.