Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 12 June 2014

Public Accounts Committee

2012 Annual Report and Appropriation Accounts of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 38 - Health
Vote 39 - Health Service Executive
Chapter 21 - Budget Management in Health Service Executive
Chapter 22 - Eligibility for Medical Cards

12:40 pm

Mr. Tony O'Brien:

I will ask my colleague, Mr. John Hennessy, to address the specifics. There is a general phenomena which relates to what are somewhat unfortunately referred to as geographically peripheral locations, that is to say, further away from the administrative centre of this country, that is, the east coast. It is a phenomena that is reflected in other countries, such as Wales, that some of those hospitals can prove very difficult to attract a consultant post to, but John can speak to the specifics of Letterkenny.