Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)

Services to patients will not be curtailed and are constantly being reconfigured. There will be a question later on Navan Hospital and I shall deal with the matter then in line with recommendations on patient safety and so on. Regarding interns, the issue is to have a comparative figure that compares like for like, comparing our position when the manpower study reported with where we are now. That was the intent of the question. The shortages that arose on 1 July are being dealt with as a result of dialogue between the Medical Council, the HSE and the training bodies. In the longer term the initiatives, including central recruitment and so on, for those who will come from outside the country will offer two-year contracts rather than a six-month contract. This will make Ireland more attractive and will deal with the pressure points. Most of the vacancies at consultant and non-consultant hospital doctor level are being filled by temporary locums and although I hear what the Deputy has to say, there is much more vigilance in this area now than might have been the case previously.

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