Mr. Liam Woods:

The Deputy correctly mentioned the monetary amount of €46,000. The role of clinical directors, as per the contract, includes oversight of this area, but it is wider than that. My colleague, Ms Cowan, will elaborate further on the matter. Clinical directors are engaged in a review of public private practice. At a hospital management level, as referenced by the Deputy, and at group and national level we ensure they are supported and enabled to do this. There is no question that the role of clinical director as set out in the 2008 contract needs to be supported more. There was a reference in the early stages to having business managers and other support staff around them, something which did not arise in the period of austerity. There is a piece of work being done with the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland on how we can deliver more effectively in that role.

That will include this piece and other parts of its work. I will ask Ms Cowan to speak on it briefly because each group would have a clinical director and there are clinical directors within hospitals.