Friday 19 January 2001
Written Answers to Questions (Continued)

FINANCE AND PERSONNEL

Public Sector Posts

Dr O’Hagan asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel if he will detail the amounts spent employing private consultancy firms in the recruitment of public service posts since 1995 and if he will give a breakdown for each year.

(AQW 439/00)

The Minister of Finance and Personnel (Mr Durkan): [holding answer 14 November 2000]: Since 1995 no private consultancy firms have been employed to recruit staff to the Northern Ireland Civil Service. Information on recruitment in the wider public sector is not held centrally.

North/South Bodies

Mr Dodds asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel to detail the costs of each of the seven North/South bodies for 2001-02.

(AQW 523/00)

Mr Durkan: Final estimates for the implementation bodies have yet to be approved by the Northern Ireland Executive and the Irish Government. I will write to you as soon as the allocations are confirmed.

There are only six North/South implementation bodies. The Northern Ireland Executive’s contribution to the budgets of the bodies for the coming year, as detailed in the 2001-02 Budget, was approved by the Assembly on the 18 December 2000.

The allocations made to each of the six bodies in the 2001-02 Budget are as follows –

A total of £5·8m was also included in the 2001-02 Budget to provide the North/South Tourism Company, a publicly owned limited company established by the Northern Ireland Tourist Board and Bord Failte, with funds to meet Northern Ireland’s share of the international marketing of the island of Ireland.

Departmental Administration: Costs

Mr Hilditch asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel to detail: (a) the total cost for the 10-Department option for Government, and; (b) an estimated cost for a six-Department administration.

(AQW 1050/00)

Mr Durkan: The planned departmental running costs of the 11-department administration for 2000-01 are £628·4 million.

The most recent figures available on the old six-department structure are for 1998-99, when planned departmental running costs totalled £585·2 million.

Whilst there is a considerable difference between these figures, one needs to acknowledge the two-year pay and price increases built into departmental allocations as part of the 1998 Comprehensive Spending Review settlement.

Urban and Rural

Mr Hussey asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel to detail the definition of the words urban and rural as used by his Department.

(AQW 1052/00)

Mr Durkan: The Department of Finance and Personnel does not have a formal definition of urban or rural. However, when working with other Northern Ireland Departments my Department takes account of any definitions relevant to their policies.

West Tyrone Budget Percentage

Mr P Doherty asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel to: (a) detail all buildings and amenities within his responsibility in the constituency of West Tyrone; (b) outline the percentage of his budget that has been allocated to the West Tyrone constituency, and; (c) explain how this compares with the previous budget.

(AQW 1089/00)

Mr Durkan: The Minister of Finance and Personnel is responsible for the provision of office accommodation for all Government Departments, including agencies within those Departments. The list below details all office accommodation in the West Tyrone constituency that is owned or leased by the Department of Finance and Personnel.

The information requested in parts (b) and (c) of your question is not recorded on a constituency basis and could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

HEALTH, SOCIAL SERVICES
AND PUBLIC SAFETY

Deficit Recovery Plans

Ms McWilliams asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to list the target reduction in cumulative deficit per financial year for trusts that have an agreed deficit recovery plan.

(AQW 1115/00)

The Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (Ms de Brún): The recovery plans produced by the relevant trusts are still under consideration by my Department, and none has yet been formally agreed. My Department is working with the boards and trusts concerned with a view to finalising plans by the end of this financial year.

Tá mo Roinn ag meas pleananna téarnaimh na n-iontaobhas cuí go fóill agus níor socraíodh plean ar bith acu go foirmiúil go dtí seo. Tá mo Roinn ag obair leis na boird agus leis na hiontaobhais bhainteacha le bailchríoch a chur ar na pleananna faoi dheireadh na bliana airgeadais seo.

Deficit Recovery Plans

Ms McWilliams asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to list all trusts that have an agreed deficit recovery plan following the 30 October deadline.

(AQW 1116/00)

Ms de Brún: The recovery plans produced by the relevant trusts are still under consideration by my Department and as such do not represent agreed final documents.

Tá mo Roinn ag meas pleananna téarnaimh na n-iontaobhas cuí go fóill agus mar sin ní doiciméid críochnaithe iad.

Deficit Management

Ms McWilliams asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to provide evidence that the process of deficit management is being applied locally in a way comparable to health trusts in England, Scotland and Wales.

(AQW 1131/00)

Ms de Brún: Trusts, here and in England, Scotland and Wales, have to comply with the statutory duty to break even over a rolling three-year period, and in exceptional circumstances, over a five-year period. Where trusts, here and in England, Scotland and Wales, experience serious financial deficits, they are required to produce a financial recovery plan in order to recover the deficit position.

The deficit problem is influenced by the allocation of resources to the health and social services sector, and for some years the level of resource increases here has been lower than in GB. A number of trusts in GB have also received assistance to help cope with deficit problems.

Recovery plans here are evaluated and agreed on a consistent basis, following the same approach, to ensure parity for all trusts.

Caithfidh iontaobhais anseo, i Sasana, in Albain agus sa Bhreatain Bheag cloí leis an dualgas reachtúil le fanacht taobh istigh den bhuiséad thar thréimhse reatha trí bliana, agus i gcúinsí eisceachtúla, thar thréimhse cúig bliana. Áit ar bith a bhfuil easnamh airgeadais ag iontaobhais anseo nó i Sasana, in Albain nó sa Bhreatain Bheag iarrtar orthu plean téarnaimh airgeadais a sholáthar leis an easnamh a thabhairt isteach.

Téann an dáileadh acmhainní ar an earnáil sláinte agus seirbhísí sóisialta i bhfeidhm ar fhadhb an easnaimh agus le blianta anuas b’ísle leibhéal méaduithe acmhainne anseo ná sa Bhreatain Mhór. Fuair roinnt iontaobhas sa Bhreatain Mhór cabhair le cuidiú leo dul i ngleic le fadhbanna easnaimh.

Déantar measúnú agus socrú ar phleananna téarnaimh anseo ar bhonn seasta, ag glacadh an chur chuige céanna le cinntiú go bhfaigheann gach iontaobhas cothrom na Féinne.

Chief Executives: Salaries

Mrs I Robinson asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to: (a) detail the job description and salary for the current financial year for each chief executive of boards and trusts, and; (b) outline her policy in regard to salaries.

(AQW 1136/00)

Ms de Brún: A copy of the job description for each of the chief executive posts has been placed in the library. The total salary that chief executives will receive this year is set out in the attached table.

My Department determines the salary payable to board chief executives. In so doing, any pay increase must be in line with those agreed for other groups of HPSS staff. Under current legislation trusts have the freedom to pay chief executives remuneration packages that they deem appropriate. However, packages must be justified and reasonable in light of the general practice in the public sector. I propose to curtail trust freedom to act independently on pay, and this power is contained in the Health and Personal Services Bill, which is currently before the Assembly. I intend to introduce new pay and grading for all HPSS senior managers.

Health and Social Services Board and Trust Chief Executive Salaries for the Year 2000/2001

Notes

(1) This Chief Executive took up post on 1 October 2000Therefore the total salary actually payable in 2000/2001 will be £33,040. The full year salary costs would be £66,080.

(2) This figure does not include any pay increase for the year 2000-01. The remuneration committee in each of these trusts will meet early in the new year to agree salary increases for 2000-2001.

Cuireadh cóip den chur síos ar phoist na bpríomhfheidhmeannach sa Leabharlann. Tá na tuarastail iomlána a gheobhaidh príomhfheidhmeannaigh i mbliana leagtha amach sa tábla thíos.

Socraíonn mo Roinn na tuarastail a íocfar le príomhfheidhmeannaigh boird. Nuair a dhéantar seo, caithfidh ardú tuarastail ar bith bheith ag cur leo sin a aontaíodh do ghrúpaí eile fhoireann SSSP. Faoin reachtaíocht atá ann faoi láthair, tá cead ag iontaobhais, má shíleann siad go bhfuil sé ceart, bearta cúitimh a íoc le príomhfheidhmeannaigh, ach caithfidh siad a bheith réasúnta de réir chaighdeán na hearnála poiblí. Molaim go laghdaítear saoirse na n-iontaobhas le gníomhú go neamhspleách ar phá agus tá an chumhacht seo sa Bhille Sláinte agus Seirbhísí Pearsanta atá faoi bhráid an Tionóil faoi láthair. Tá sé ar intinn agam pá agus grádú nua a thabhairt isteach do bhainisteoirí sinsearacha SSSP uilig.

Tuarastail PhríomhFheidhmeannach Bord agus Iontaobhas Sláinte agus Seirbhísí Sóisialta don Bhliain 2000/2001

Nótaí

(1) Thosaigh an príomhfheidhmeannach seo sa phost ar 1 Deireadh Fómhair 2000 agus ar an ábhar sin is é £33,040 an tuarastal iomlán a íocfar go dearfa i 2000-2001. Is é £66,080 na costais a bheadh ar thuarastal na bliana iomláine.

(2) Ní chuireann an figiúr seo ardú pá ar bith don bhliain 2000-01 san áireamh. Cruinneoidh an coiste cúitimh i ngach ceann de na hiontaobhais seo go luath sa bhliain úr le hardú tuarastail a aontú don bhliain 2000-2001.

Speech and Language Therapists

Mr Gibson asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to give her assessment of the levels of recruitment and retention of speech and language therapists in Northern Ireland.

(AQW 1139/00)

Ms de Brún: There has been no formal assessment of the recruitment and retention of speech and language therapists. Health and social services boards and trusts are responsible for ensuring that there are sufficient therapists to provide the level of service to meet the assessed needs of their populations. I have not been made aware of any specific difficulties in this regard.

Ní raibh measúnú foirmiúil ar fhostú agus ar choinneáil teiripithe urlabhra agus teanga ann. Tá boird agus iontaobhais sláinte agus seirbhísí sóisialta freagrach as cinntiú go bhfuil go leor teiripithe ann le caighdeán seirbhíse a chur ar fáil a fhreastlaíonn ar riachtanais a bpobal. Go dtí seo, níor tarraingíodh m’aird ar dheacrachtaí áirithe maidir leis seo.

Whiteabbey Hospital

Mr K Robinson asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to ensure that the necessary bed spaces will be made available at Whiteabbey Hospital to cope with the annual increase in winter demand.

(AQW 1154/00)

Ms de Brún: The United Hospitals Trust, which is responsible for Whiteabbey Hospital, has been working closely with the Northern Health and Social Services Board, Homefirst Community HSS Trust and with GPs to put in place a wide range of measures designed to deal with increased demands for services over the winter period.

These measures include the provision of additional beds at all hospitals in the Northern Board’s area, including Whiteabbey, as well as extra beds at hospitals in Belfast. In this regard, hospitals managed by the United Trust also benefit from the services of the emergency admissions co-ordination centre, which manages emergency hospital admissions for Eastern and Northern Board hospitals.

Tá Iontaobhas na nOspidéal Aontaithe, atá freagrach as Ospidéal na Mainistreach Finne, ag obair go dlúth le Bord Sláinte agus Seirbhísí Sóisialta an Tuaiscirt, le hIontaobhas Pobail Homefirst agus le liachleachtóirí ginearálta bearta a chur i bhfeidhm a ceapadh le plé leis na héilimh bhreise ar sheirbhísí sa gheimhreadh.

Ar na bearta seo beidh leapacha breise á soláthar i ngach ospidéal i gceantar Bhord an Tuaiscirt chomh maith le leapacha breise in ospidéil i mBéal Feirste. Maidir leis seo, bainfidh ospidéil atá faoi bhainistíocht an Iontaobhais Aontaithe leas as seirbhísí ionad comhordaithe na niontrálacha éigeandála, atá ag bainistiú iontrálacha éigeandála d’ospidéil Bhord an Oirthir agus Bhord an Tuaiscirt.

Occupational Therapists

Mr Hussey asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail: (a) the number of occupational therapists, and; (b) the ratio of occupational therapists to population for each trust in Northern Ireland.

(AQW 1161/00)

Ms de Brún: The information requested is detailed in the tables below.

(a) Occupational Therapists as at 30 September 2000

(b) Ratio of Occupational Therapists to population

There is no official population figure available by trust area, and the ratios are therefore provided by health and social services board area.

Tá an t-eolas a iarradh sonraithe sna táblaí thíos.

(a) Teiripithe saothair mar a bhí ar 30 Meán Fómhair 2000

(b) Cóimheas Teiripithe Saothair le Daonra

Níl líon oifigiúil daonra ar fáil de réir cheantar iontaobhais agus tá na cóimheasa ar fáil de réir cheantar bhord sláinte agus seirbhísí sóisialta.

Occupational Therapists

Mr Hussey asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail the current average waiting time for visits by occupational therapists concerning house adaptations in each trust in Northern Ireland.

(AQW 1162/00)

Ms de Brún: Information on average waiting time for visits by occupational therapists in regard to house adaptations is not collected.

Ní bhailítear eolas ar an mheánam feithimh do chuairteanna ó theiripithe saothair maidir le-oiriúnuithe tí.

Residential Care

Mr Fee asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail for each health and social services trust: (a) the number of people in each month since April 1999 who have had to remain in residential care due to the lack of care workers to provide care in the community; (b) the average extra time spent in residential care for each person who has had to remain in residential care due to the lack of care workers to provide care in the community, for each month since April 1999, and; (c) the steps being taken to recruit sufficient care workers to provide a service which meets the needs of the community.

(AQW 1168/00)

Ms de Brún: The statistical information requested is not available.

It is clear that there are difficulties attracting, recruiting and retaining people for home help and analogous social care posts in some areas. Health and social services trusts are making special efforts to recruit sufficient home care workers for their services. These efforts include reviewing the arrangements, terms and conditions for the employment of home care staff and considering the employment of care workers on fixed-period contracts and contracted weekly hours. When specific difficulties arise in relation to the availability of care workers, the trusts make every effort to resolve these or provide alternative arrangements for care that are acceptable to the individuals and families concerned.

Níl an t-eolas staitisticiúil a iarradh ar fáil.

Is léir go bhfuil fadhbanna i limistéir áirithe ag mealladh, ag earcú agus ag coinneáil daoine do phoist mar chuiditheoir baile nó poist chúraim shóisialta den chineál céanna. Tá iontaobhais SSS ag déanamh a ndíchill go leor oibrithe cúraim bhaile a earcú dá seirbhísí. Ar na hiarrachtaí seo tá athbhreithniú ar shocruithe, théarmaí agus choinníollacha fostaíochta d’oibrithe cúraim bhaile, agus táthar ag machnamh ar oibrithe cúraim a fhostú ar chonarthaí ar théarma seasta agus uaireanta seachtainiúla conraithe. Nuair a tharlaíonn fadhbanna maidir le soláthar oibrithe cúraim, déanann na hiontaobhais a seacht ndícheall iad a réiteach nó socruithe cúraim eile a chur ar fáil atá sásúil ag na daoine agus teaghlaigh lena mbaineann siad.

Special Needs Children Programme

Mr Shannon asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to confirm that the funding for the special needs children programme will be controlled from within her Department.

(AQW 1176/00)

Ms de Brún: My Department is responsible for funding healthcare services provided to children with special needs, and health and social services boards and trusts are responsible for ensuring that the funds provided are used to meet the particular needs of their local populations.

Tá mo Roinn freagrach as seirbhísí cúraim sláinte a mhaoiniú a sholáthraítear do pháistí a bhfuil riachtanais speisialta acu agus tá boird agus na iontaobhais sláinte agus seirbhísí sóisialta freagrach as a chinntiú go mbaintear úsáid as an mhaoiniú a sholáthraítear le freastal ar na riachtanais ar leith atá ag an phobal áitiúil.

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