Vol. 422 No. 5
114 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health if he will make a statement on the Comhairle na nOspidéal three year report which expressed serious concern at (1) the undue concentration of highly specialised consultant posts in Dublin and (2) the existence of 134 temporary consultants around the country.
118 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health if he will make a statement on a recent Comhairle na nOspidéal report suggesting that Ireland is overproducing medical graduates.
119 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health if he will make a statement on a recent Comhairle na nOspidéal report that there is an imbalance between the high number of hospital training posts and the limited opportunities at consultant level.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 114, 118 and 119 together.
Comhairle na nOspidéal are the statutory body charged with regulating the number and type of appointments of consultant medical staff in the public health service.
I was presented with a copy of Comhairle's latest report covering the years July, 1989 to June, 1992 two weeks ago.
I have noted the Comhairle's comments on all of the areas specified by the Deputy. The geographical distribution of consultant posts, the alleged over-production of medical graduates relative to this country's needs and the imbalance between the number of hospital training posts and consultant vacancies are all issues that will be examined in depth in the context of the tripartite study on medical manpower currently under way. This is a collaborative exercise involving my Department, the Postgraduate Medical and Dental Board and the Comhairle.
In relation to the 134 temporary-locum consultant appointments, their regulation is a matter for Comhairle itself. With the exception of two or three specialties, the number and duration of such appointments is not unduly high. I understand that Comhairle is now working closely with employing authorities to encourage permanent appointments as far as possible. Comhairle will continue its policy of keeping temporary-locum appointments to the minimum essential for the maintenance of services.
