Mr. Martin Varley:

In a business-like sense or an economic sense, we have been talking about improved efficiency, effectiveness and productivity. Based on the budget, we spend about €5,000 million on acute hospitals. Most business people would say that it is not beyond the stretch of capability to introduce a 1% productivity efficiency gain which, as it happens, is €50 million. This is way above the cost of putting the people in place on a permanent basis.

The effectiveness and benefit of having permanent staff compared with serial locums cannot be underestimated. I am quite sure we are missing out on significant productivity and effectiveness gains by the way the service has evolved since the inequity and discrimination was introduced with these posts which were filled on a temporary or an expensive agency basis.

The maths on this is absolutely certain. We have a situation we can resolve. It would be better than cost-neutral when one looks at the benefits and cost savings. I cannot understand why official Ireland is not engaging to do the necessary.