Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will certainly make the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, aware that Deputy Pringle raised it here in the Dáil today. Recruitment and retention of consultants is a challenge throughout the country but more so in some parts of the country than others. Under the new consultant contract, we offer a salary of €250,000 a year if people dedicate themselves to public practice. They can still do private practice in their own time, so it is extremely good money, but it is not just about money, and when there are many more posts available around the world than there are people qualified for them, it can be difficult to fill posts.

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