Ms Laura Magahy:

On consultants' contracts, we are pleased the discussion has commenced with the Irish Medical Organisation, IMO, while the Irish Hospital Consultants Association, IHCA, has been invited in and will soon appear at a meeting to discuss the matter. I imagine that the issue will play out over the next several months and we will return to the Government for a decision.

The Deputy indicated that it is not just money that keeps people in a job, although it is an important factor. I acknowledge her point. It is also about the atmosphere - not just physical but also cultural - in which they work. If people cannot get access to theatres to perform operations or see people in the correct circumstances, it becomes hard for all healthcare staff to work in such conditions. The elective hospitals initiative we have done, which was intended to streamline unscheduled and scheduled care, will help in that regard. It will help people to have their theatre time and will keep professionals interested and engaged in their work. That is as, if not more, important as money to the professionals to whom we have spoken. Highly skilled people being unable to get into theatres on time is not conducive to retention.

On resource allocation and the additional 1,000 front-line staff, I am mindful a resource allocation model has been applied throughout the system. The ESRI has pointed out there is an unequal distribution of community healthcare workers per head of population throughout the country. While I am mindful of that as a base, we must also examine the services that such community healthcare professionals will put in place, in response to community waiting lists or staffing the primary care centres, as well as the initiatives or services that will move and keep people out of hospital-----