A critical part of the strategy to restore the public finances is to achieve sustainability in the cost of delivering public services relative to State revenues. To help achieve this goal, it is necessary to restructure and reorganise the public service and to reduce public service numbers, including the number of nurses and midwives, over the coming years.
This policy is reflected in the Employment Control Framework for the health sector and in the National Recovery Plan which provides for an ongoing reduction of 1,500 wholetime equivalents per annum over the period 2011 to 2014.
The Government decision in relation to the Framework has been modulated to ensure that key services are maintained insofar as possible in the health services, particularly in respect of children at risk, older people, persons with a disability, mental health services, and cancer services.
In addition, the Health Service Executive (HSE) has some degree of flexibility under the Framework to sanction the filling of certain other posts (both within its own organisation and in voluntary service providers funded it by it) on an exceptional basis provided it achieves the overall target reductions in both staffing levels and pay costs.
With regard to the HSE's use of agency nurses, the Chief Executive Officer has acknowledged the need to address this. Accordingly, I have referred the matter to the Executive for direct reply.