663. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to publish her Department's methodology for calculating the financial impact of long-term vacancies on agency spend, overtime costs and service capacity; and to confirm whether a standardised template will be introduced for HSE regions. [68058/25]
Parliamentary questions
Questions
TDs ask ministers questions to get answers on the record, most of them in writing. Here is every one asked in the 34th Dáil, by the department it went to and the subject heading it was filed under. How questions work
Browse the questions
Showing questions asked by Ken O'Flynn under the heading Health Services Staff.
314 questions match, newest first.
664. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the policy and operational basis on which the HSE seeks retrospective recovery of specialist-qualification allowances from staff who received the allowance in good faith; and if a formal appeals or waiver mechanism exists for such cases. [68059/25]
665. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health if she will instruct the HSE to suspend retrospective recovery of specialist-qualification allowances in cases involving administrative error pending a full review of the issue. [68060/25]
669. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of whole-time equivalent consultants in pain medicine, by hospital group; and the number of unfilled or approved posts currently vacant. [68066/25]
671. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the current vacancy figures for occupational therapy posts in Cork, by network and grade; and the expected timeline for filling these posts. [68068/25]
674. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of occupational therapists who left HSE posts in Cork in 2024, and to date in 2025; and the recorded reasons for exit. [68071/25]
675. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the current vacancy rate across the South South-West Hospital Group and Cork Kerry Community Healthcare, by hospital and specialty, including the number of approved posts versus filled posts. [68072/25]
679. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the current number of consultants in pain medicine working in the HSE; the number of approved posts that remain vacant, and the steps planned in 2025 and 2026 to strengthen the workforce for chronic pain services. [68076/25]
681. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the current number of unfilled occupational therapy posts in Cork, by network and grade; and the expected dates for filling these posts. [68078/25]
684. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of staff who left occupational therapy posts in Cork during 2024 and 2025; and the recorded reasons for their exit. [68081/25]
685. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of vacant community health posts in Cork, by discipline and whole-time equivalent; and the expected recruitment timeline for each. [68082/25]
686. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the current vacancy rate in the South South-West Hospital Group and Cork Kerry Community Healthcare, by service and grade; and the number of approved posts and filled posts as of the most recent reporting period. [68083/25]
688. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the vacancy rate across all community health disciplines in Cork, including occupational therapy, physiotherapy, speech and language therapy, social work and social care work; the number of approved posts versus filled posts; and the recruitment timelines for 2026. [68085/25]
689. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of staff recruited in 2024 and 2025 within the South South-West Hospital Group and Cork Kerry Community Healthcare; the number of staff who left during the same period; the number of posts currently dependent on agency workers; and the actions planned for 2026 to increase permanent staffing and reduce reliance on agency contracts. [68086/25]
304. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of whole-time equivalent chronic pain specialists currently employed across the HSE, broken down by hospital group; the number of vacancies; the number of unfilled consultant posts in pain medicine; and the steps being taken by her Department to address workforce shortages in chronic pain services in 2025 and 2026. [66511/25]
307. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to set out the number of occupational therapy posts currently unfilled in each area of Cork, broken down by network, grade and whole-time equivalent, and to provide the date by which her Department expects all posts to be filled. [66519/25]
309. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to outline the funding allocated for occupational therapy services in Cork in 2026, including new development posts, replacement posts, and resources for waiting list initiatives. [66521/25]
310. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of occupational therapists who left HSE posts in Cork in 2024 and 2025, and to give the reasons recorded for exit. [66522/25]
314. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of vacant community health posts across Cork, by discipline, by grade and whole-time equivalent; and to provide recruitment timelines for each. [66526/25]
318. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to outline the number of apprentices currently in place in Social Work and Social Care Work within the South South-West region; the planned intake for 2025 and 2026; any planned expansion of apprenticeships into additional roles; and the projected contribution of these apprenticeship schemes to reducing vacancies in the region. [66536/25]
319. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to provide a comparative analysis of staffing levels per 100,000 population across all HSE regions, including the South-West, for medical, nursing, midwifery, Health and Social Care Professionals, and administrative grades, and to confirm whether staffing levels in the South-West are in line with, above, or below national averages. [66537/25]
333. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the reason her Department and the HSE do not maintain a record of approved HSE posts that remain unfilled for more than six months; the mechanisms currently used to monitor persistent vacancies of this kind; the way in which her Department assesses the financial effect of these long-term vacancies on the Exchequer and the impact of such vacancies on service delive…
334. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to specify how her Department calculates the financial implications arising from HSE posts that remain unfilled for more than six months, including the projected savings, additional costs linked to overtime or agency staffing, and the effect on service capacity; and to outline whether a standard methodology is applied across HSE regions. [66569/25]
335. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health how her Department assesses the effect of long-term vacant posts on service delivery, including waiting lists, emergency department pressures and specialist care capacity; and to detail any measures she intends to introduce to ensure persistent vacancies are identified, monitored and addressed as part of the National Service Plan 2026. [66570/25]
336. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the policy and operational basis on which the HSE seeks the retrospective recovery of specialist qualification allowances from staff who received the allowance in good faith over an extended period, where the allowance had been approved and paid by management; to confirm whether a formal appeals or waiver process exists for such cases; to outline the legal and HR …