Limerick East): I propose to take Questions Nos. 134, 135, 136 and 137 together.
Non-consultant hospital doctors work a "basic" 39 hour week. However, they are liable to be rostered for an average of 65 hours per week. The 65 hour week was implemented in 1989 following Labour Court Recommendation 11840. Figures are not available on the longest working week of a non-consultant hospital doctor in 1995 or on the total number of doctors who worked in excess of the 65 hours per week in 1995. The absence of this information is largely due to the absence of mechanisms to record unapproved or unrostered hours. When overtime is paid to non-consultant hospital doctors for hours worked over 65 hours it generally follows agreements reached at local level. This information is not readily available in the Department of Health.
The report on the Joint Pilot Study on Unrostered Hours of Non-Consultant Hospital Doctors carried out in 1994 by a group representative of the Local Government Staff Negotiations Board, the Irish Business Employers' Confederation, the Irish Medical Organisation and the Department of Health identified the problem of unrostered hours in certain specialities. Following this report, the Department of Health and health service management representatives entered negotiations with the Irish Medical Organisation and agreement has been reached on a mechanism to monitor and control working hours which will be introduced when other related matters which the parties are considering are agreed.
This mechanism will in the future be available to deal with cases similar to the one of the non-consultant hospital doctors in County Limerick and will also deal with the comments made by the Rights Commissioner in relation to Labour Court Recommendation 11840. I am not aware of any other similar overtime claims by non-consultant hospital doctors which have been investigated previously by a Rights Commissioner or other officers of the Labour Relations Commission nor of any similar claims pending. The ruling of the Rights Commissioner relates to this individual case and has no impact on the remuneration of any other non-consultant hospital doctor.
