Bernard Allen
Question:427 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will take action to address the issue of the disproportionate minority of women who are appointed to consultant posts. [23845/00]
Written Answers. - Consultant Appointments.
The recruitment of consultants is a matter for individual hospitals and the Local Appointments Commission. The criteria for appointment are laid down by Comhairle na nOspidéal. All health service organisations are equal opportunities employers and adhere to best practice in recruitment.
The imbalance between the number of male and female consultants has been a cause for concern for some time. It is a major item on the work programme of the forum on medical manpower. A considerable amount of work has been undertaken with young female doctors with a view to identifying the factors which inhibit their progression to the senior levels of hospital medicine. The report of the forum, which is nearing completion, will contain a number of proposals to address this problem.
Bernard Allen
Question:428 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of consultant appointments made annually since 1990; and the number of women appointed in each case by speciality. [23846/00]
Over the past decade, 1990 to 1999 inclusive, 163 women and 449 men were appointed to consultant posts. Detailed data by specialty is not avail able for the years 1990, 1991, and 1992. The numbers of appointments made annually since 1990, are distributed by gender in the following table:
|
Year |
Male |
Female |
Total |
|
1990 |
30 |
10 |
40 |
|
1991 |
49 |
11 |
60 |
|
1992 |
35 |
27 |
62 |
|
1993 |
39 |
9 |
48 |
|
1994 |
26 |
12 |
38 |
|
1995 |
56 |
14 |
70 |
|
1996 |
57 |
18 |
75 |
|
1997 |
54 |
20 |
74 |
|
1998 |
46 |
11 |
57 |
|
1999 |
57 |
31 |
88 |
|
Total |
449 |
163 |
612 |
The numbers of female consultants appointed to each specialty since 1993 are distributed by specialty in the following table:
|
1993 |
1994 |
1995 |
1996 |
1997 |
1998 |
1999 |
|
|
Accident &Emergency |
1 |
||||||
|
Anaesthesia |
2 |
2 |
4 |
8 |
3 |
3 |
7 |
|
Medicine |
1 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
||
|
Obstetrics/Gynaecology |
2 |
1 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
||
|
Paediatrics |
2 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
||
|
Pathology |
2 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
5 |
|
|
Psychiatry |
3 |
3 |
6 |
2 |
6 |
1 |
4 |
|
Radiology |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
7 |
||
|
Surgery |
1 |
1 |
1 |