Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 8, 62 and 108 together.

The provisions of the European working time directive as it relates to the working hours of doctors in training came into force on 1 August 2004. The relevant provisions were transposed into Irish law by way of the European Communities (Organisation of Working Time) (Activities of Doctors in Training) Regulations 2004. That will ultimately reduce non-consultant hospital doctors' working hours to an average of 48 hours per week. The introduction of new rosters in many sites would facilitate significant progress towards compliance with the directive while maintaining safe patient care and existing levels of service provision.

Employers and the Irish Medical Organisation have been engaged in discussions for some time under the auspices of the Labour Relations Commission to advance proposals to effect a reduction in the working hours of non-consultant hospital doctors. The LRC however, has requested that both parties refrain from engaging in any form of unilateral action for the duration of the negotiation process. Consequently, health employers are at present awaiting agreement between management and the IMO at national level before proceeding with the introduction of these rosters. On 7 February 2005, both sides accepted a proposal made by the LRC to establish a national implementation group. This group co-ordinates the work of local implementation groups in nine pilot sites, issues agreed guidance on matters related to the implementation of the European working time directive and assists in the development of local implementation plans.

Each local implementation group includes consultants, non-consultant hospital doctors, nurses and management. These groups have drawn up pilot projects to try to find viable solutions to the difficult issue of reducing hospital doctors' hours. Suggested projects have been brought before the national implementation group for consideration. It is expected that many of the suggested projects will be up and running in the near future, with the full backing of all of the stakeholders.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House.

The data gathered from this exercise will help to determine how we begin to reorganise services over a 24-hour day to maintain high quality patient care while achieving compliance with the directive.

Service in our hospitals has not been adversely affected by the implementation of the working time directive. I am confident the implementation of this directive, and the introduction of new non-consultant hospital doctors and consultant contracts, will greatly improve service provision generally and hospital care in particular.

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