Jack Wall
Question:31 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Finance if he will make a statement on the cost implications of the medical manpower forum recently endorsed by the Minister for Health. [14254/01]
Written Answers. - Medical Manpower Forum.
The Government considered the report of the Forum on Medical Manpower, together with the report of the national joint steering group on the working hours of non-consultant hospital doctors, at its meeting on 3 April last and decided, inter alia, that the resource implications and costs arising from the recommendations of both reports should be quantified and identified in a further Memorandum to be submitted to Government in due course. That process – which includes the commencement of negotiations with the relevant parties – has not yet been completed.
Accordingly, it is not practicable to indicate at this stage what additional funding will be required to deal with the issues arising from the report of the Forum on Medical Manpower.