Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 1 October 2020
285. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health the number of public health consultants in the employ of the public health service; and the estimated full-year cost of employing them. [27808/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraCurrently the public health services employ Public Health Specialists and Directors of Public Health. The most recent census data, returns for July 2020, include 57.7 Public Health Specialists and 18.6 Directors of Public Health (whole time equivalents).
Consultant status for the Specialty as recommended in the Crowe Horwath Report is an immediate priority. It is also consistent with the role envisaged for the Specialists in Slaintecare and Professor Scally’s Report on the National Screening Service ('CervicalCheck') under a new public health framework.
I, my Department and the HSE are committed to the early introduction of a new framework for public healthcare, as provided for in the Programme for Government, and to the framework incorporating consultant status. While finalisation of the future framework was paused in the context of Covid-19, addressing the pandemic has accelerated the implementation of many of the Crowe Horwath recommendations.
The specialty is already working - and leading out - the operationalisation of a very different operational model in response to the pandemic from that which was previously in place; the role of the public health doctor has transitioned very rapidly from one of leading small confined teams, to now leading and directing the activities of a very broad range of organisations and large multidisciplinary teams and the workforce has been diversified to a level not previously envisaged. This reform will continue when the Pandemic Framework, currently the immediate priority for the HSE, is finalised.
Teams are now in place in my Department and the HSE working on a related business case for submission to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform seeking consultant status and remuneration and this will be completed and submitted as soon as possible. The full year cost will depend on the number of consultant posts in the finalised framework and the remuneration arrangements that will apply.
