Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

On consultants' and GPs' pay, we very much welcome the reversal of the financial emergency measures in the public interest, FEMPI. It was one of the things for which Fianna Fáil had pushed hard in the budget negotiations. There is also the huge issue of a pay discrepancy for new entrant consultants where consultants have the same qualifications and it so happens one of them worked abroad for a few years but is paid €70,000 less. It has been identified as one of the big reasons we are finding it so hard to attract back consultants trained in this country or in attracting foreign consultants. We have the lowest number of consultations in Europe per head of population, which is a major issue. Within the Estimates are we seeing any provision or is there any thinking to include a provision to unwind or begin to unwind the pay discrepancy for new entrants in order that we can begin to hire the consultants we so badly need?