Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. First, the total number of funded consultant positions in Mayo University Hospital is about 64, with 60.5 currently in post when locums are included. The area of difficulty in filling posts in Mayo University Hospital is predominantly within the medical speciality, so there are a range of issue there. Interviews will be held in April for two obstetric consultant posts and one consultant endocrinology post. Other posts that have been advertised and have interview dates pending includes positions in geriatrics, emergency medicine, respiratory medicine, cardiology medicine and medicine in general. At a broader level, there has been substantial recruitment of consultants across the board. It is higher than was sometimes anticipated. On the advancement of new contracts in line with the Sláintecare proposal, we have had intensive discussions on that.

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