Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The difference in pay between established consultants and new entrants - those who joined the public health service from 1 October 2012 - has been highlighted extensively by the consultants’ representative bodies. My colleague, the Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, met the Irish Medical Organisation, IMO, at its annual general meeting last year when he addressed the issue of new entrant pay. He also met the Irish Hospital Consultant Association, IHCA, last week when the issue was discussed. The Minister has also met members of the representative bodies at various engagements at which the issue was raised. The matter has also been highlighted in meetings involving Department officials, including in the past year.

An increase in the gap between the pay of existing consultants and new entrants was a product of the settlement of the legal dispute surrounding the consultant contract under which it was argued that existing contract holders were due certain pay increases. The Public Service Pay Commission, in its report published on 4 September 2018, identified difficulties in attracting consultant applications for advertised posts and acknowledged that the pay rates for new entrants had been highlighted as a factor in this. Given its analysis, the commission proposed that the parties to the public service stability agreement jointly consider what further measures could be taken, over time, to address the pay differential between pre-existing consultants and new entrant consultants. The Departments of Public Expenditure and Reform and Health have noted the commission's views and consideration will need to be given to potential solutions which are in line with public sector pay policy and available budgets. This will be a significant challenge given the amounts involved.

With regard to the new contracts for hospital consultants, no engagement has taken place with the representative bodies to date. The contract currently available to new entrants is the common 2008 consultant contract.

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