Vol. 435 No. 9
123 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health if he will make a statement on the fact that only two out of the last 82 obstetricians that have been appointed were women and the last six appointments were male, in view of the fact that all of the patients are women.
The latest consultant manpower survey carried out by Comhairle na nOspidéal in respect of 1 January 1993 indicates that there were 82 obstetrician-gynaecologist posts in the public health services of whom two or 2.4 per cent were filled by women. Of the overall total number of consultant posts in the public health services at that date, 1,170, some 166 or 14 per cent, were filled by women.
Whilst some progress has been made towards achieving a more equitable male-female ratio in overall consultant employment, as evidenced by the appointment of an additional 42 female consultants since 1 May 1989, an increase of 33 per cent, it is apparent that a good deal of progress remains to be made in the obstetrics-gynaecology specialty and more generally if this goal is to be attained.
