Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will ask the HSE to revert directly to the Deputy in terms of when the advertisements for those vacant posts will be placed, but my understanding is that it is pretty imminent and that they have been sanctioned for funding so it is a matter of placing the advertisements. I had an opportunity to meet the CEO of the South/South West hospital group with my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Jim Daly, in Bantry on Monday where we had a discussion about better utilising the model 2 hospitals within the South/South West hospital group. The Minister of State will follow up on that for me but we agreed with the South/South West hospital group that when new consultant posts are being sanctioned anywhere in the group, part of the requirement in the contract will be that the consultant goes out to the model 2 hospitals and carries out more of their clinics and theatre practice there. Through that we can drive more patients and citizens through the model 2 hospitals and keep them out of the larger hospitals, which are very busy, as the Deputy rightly said.

I will come back to the Deputy directly through the HSE on when those posts will be advertised. I have made it very clear to the South/South West hospital group that I want to see plans to better utilise our model 2 hospitals, and I am happy to engage with the Deputy further on that.

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