Mr. Martin Varley:

I should declare that I am a member of the type C committee and quite familiar with its workings. The Deputy is correct that there has been an increase from 2013 onwards in the number of applicants who have been recommended by the committee and approved by the HSE. We should look at this issue in the full context. In the NHS, throughout all of its jurisdictions, a consultant works his or her contracted hours and is free thereafter to practice privately as he or she wishes. That is generally the practice worldwide. We are unique in actually restricting consultants in practicing outside their contracted hours. The key component is that consultants carry out their public contract hours and I hope they are given the resources to do so productively. Some of the problems in the health service relate to the fact that they are not being given the resources they need to have a sufficient number of operating hours. There has been somewhat of an increase in the number of type C applicants, but it has abated in recent times. There was pent up demand from 2008 to 2013 and it has subsequently come at a more steady, reduced flow. I do not see the numbers escalating significantly. It will only happen where individuals can marry their public contracts with work off-site. I do not have concerns in that regard and, in fact, consider it beneficial to the public at large if we have a shortage in a specialty, as we generally have, that once consultants have completed their work in public hospitals, they can work off-site privately. In fact, their work off-site is clearly in addition and separate. I see that private practice as separate from their work in public hospitals.