Mr. William Prasifka:

On the percentage of doctors who have completed specialty training and stayed, we cannot provide the figure right now. However, a great deal of work has been done on this topic of doctor emigration. The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland has a doctor emigration project and it is something in which all stakeholders are actively involved.

We will endeavour to forward to the committee the best information we have in this regard.

Deputy Murphy O'Mahony correctly stated that "consultant" is not a defined term under the Medical Practitioners Act. This is not surprising because the Medical Practitioners Act does not give the Medical Council a role in the employment status of doctors within the health system. It also does not give the Medical Council the status of regulator of hospitals or employers. If it did, we would be a very different body with different powers and, presumably, very different resources. In terms of the doctors who are self declared, the self-declaration does not give them any status. The workforce intelligence report, which we compile and has been well received by stakeholders, is a snapshot of, and a source of information about, the medical workforce. It is very useful, particularly when we know there are lots of stresses and strains in that workforce and very high emigration. It is a useful tool but, in and of itself, it does not confer any status on anyone. What we are discussing is to how to uphold standards in the profession. Obviously, the Medical Council would be, and is, extremely concerned if consultant posts are not being filled by people who meet the specialist qualification.