Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As the Tánaiste knows, we have a serious shortage of consultants across the country. According to the Irish Medical Organisation, there are 450 vacancies this month. The consultants' contract negotiations are still outstanding. They have not been completed. My understanding is that 127 specialist registrars are now filling these posts. This is relevant to the health (miscellaneous provisions) Bill. A few weeks ago, Mr. Justice Peter Kelly described the practice of putting non-consultants into these posts as "scandalous". The consultants involved in the pay dispute have access to private work. The State is disputing whether many of them have breached the rules in that regard and is pointing out that other public and civil servants do not have access to such private work. The reality is that 500 consultants are taking cases. It is estimated that it could cost up to €700 million.

Does the Tánaiste have a plan to deal with this case and can he confirm that should there be payouts of several hundred million euro, they will not affect services?

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