Jerry Buttimer (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Ba mhaith liom failte a ghabháil le baill Ceardchumann Dochtúirí na hÉireann agus Feidhmeannacht na Seirbhíse Sláinte. I welcome the members of the non-consultant hospital doctors subgroup of the Irish Medical Organisation. I also welcome the officials from the Health Service Executive who will address the committee during the second part of the meeting. Tá an Comhchoiste um Shláinte agus Leanaí ag caint mar gheall ar choinníollacha fostaíochta na ndochtúirí neamh-chomhairleacha ospidéil. This afternoon, we are discussing the conditions and services of non-consultant hospital doctors as part of our work programme.

I remind people in the Public Gallery and the members of the committee to switch off their phones. We have agreed to defer our consideration of the minutes and the comhfhreagras to the cruinniú maidin Déardaoin. Apologies have been received from Deputies Ciara Conway and Robert Troy and Senators Imelda Henry and Jillian van Turnhout for their absence from this afternoon's meeting.

The subject of the first part of this meeting is the pay and conditions of non-consultant hospital doctors. In the second part of the meeting, we will discuss recruitment policy. It is important that we hear the views of all sides on this important issue. During the past week, we have seen a number of commentaries in one of our newspapers regarding the conditions of non-consultant hospital doctors.

I welcome to the first part of the meeting Ms Shirley Coulter, who is the assistant director dealing with industrial relations of the Irish Medical Organisation. She is joined by Dr. Mark Murphy, who is the chairperson of the organisation's non-consultant hospital doctors committee and has been with us before, Dr. Shane Considine, who is a senior house officer at Our Lady's Children's Hospital in Crumlin, and Dr. Grainne O’Kane, who is a specialist registrar in the medical oncology unit at the Mater Hospital. They are very welcome to this afternoon's meeting. I thank them most sincerely for being here, especially as I understand some of them have had to change their schedules to accommodate our meeting.

Before we begin, I would like to remind members and witnesses of the position regarding privilege.

I advise witnesses that by virtue of 17(2)(l) of the Defamation Act 2009 witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of their evidence to the committee. If they are directed by the committee to cease giving evidence on a particular matter and they continue to do so, they are entitled thereafter only to a qualified privilege in respect of their evidence. Witnesses are directed that only evidence connected with the subject matter of these proceedings is to be given and asked to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that, where possible, they should not criticise or make charges against a Member of either House, a person outside the House or an official by name or in such a way as to make his or her identifiable. I remind members of the long-standing parliamentary practice to the effect that members should not comment on, criticise or make charges against a person outside the House or an official by name in such a way as to make him or her identifiable.

An apology has been received from Deputy Billy Kelleher. I invite Ms Coulter to make her opening statement.