The two Irelands - Decisive action can’t be deferred

AS 800 Waterford Glass workers faced the loss of their cherished jobs yesterday, and, as worries continue to cloud thousands of jobs dependent on Dell, Department of Health and the Health Services Executive figures perfectly illustrate the festering differences between the two Irelands.

The figures show the Ireland exposed to the economic realities of January 2009 and the self-serving and insulated Ireland where no one ever loses their job. New figures show that the Department of Health has retained almost all its administrative staff, despite the establishment of the HSE. The department has held onto 526 of its 651 staff, despite the HSE recruiting 1,800 management or administrative staff in the interim.

The figures also show the HSE has an unbelievable 1,300 people working in human resources — total staff 113,000 — and the department still has 53. The HSE figure is as baffling as it is staggering; 1,300 people in human resources? Just what are they doing? It is unimaginable that a third of those jobs are justified.