Few retiring staff will be rehired - Reilly

Only in exceptional circumstances will those quitting in the current retirement exodus from the health service be re-hired to fill vacancies, according to Health Minister James Reilly.

The Minister told the Seanad that it was not his intention that retirees 'will return to the service in droves.'

He said it would be very much the exception that somebody who had retired would be put back in their old job.

Dr Reilly said not all of the positions which would become vacant would be filled because they would not be necessary, but those which were necessary to fill would be given to new people.

More than 4,000 staff are expected to have quit the health service by the end of the month in order to avail of favourable pension arrangements which cease after this date.

However, unlike with the 2010 early retirement/voluntary redundancy scheme, these staff are not be barred from being re-hired by the HSE.

The Minister later told the Dail he was confident a safe health service would be maintained despite the likely departure of around 4,200 staff.

The Minister also said an implementation group for his planned universal health insurance (UHI) system will be announced shortly and will meet before the end of the month.

UHI, under which the entire population will be insured for healthcare and which is aimed at ending public/private inequity, is due to be introduced around 2016.

[Posted: Thu 16/02/2012]