Colm Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

At a previous committee meeting, I inquired about vacancies in consultant posts. On 1 January 2011, there were 141 paediatric consultants but by 30 September 2012 there were 147, meaning six new appointments were made. How did a consultant in the area of fibromyalgia and spina bifida slip through the appointment process when it was promised back in 2009? Maybe some clarification should be sought from the Health Service Executive as to why this arose? There have been quite a number of consultant posts advertised for which there have been no applicants. Have the delegations received any indication that there are suitable candidates within the Irish system or in the UK if the post were advertised? As this is a very specialised area, there may be a problem filling the post. Is there any existing paediatrician who could be assigned to deal with this area?