Colm Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I wish to raise an matter, which I acknowledge I have raised repeatedly over the past two years, in respect of the junior doctor issue. A meeting of the Joint Committee on Health and Children was due to be held this morning but did not go ahead because of the late sitting of the Dáil last night. However, in the report to the Joint Committee on Health and Children regarding the vacancies of junior doctors, it is absolutely frightening how the HSE will not now give the joint committee the information it has requested.

The response was as follows: "Taking this into account the HSE has ceased collating daily and weekly figures and instead uses a number of mechanisms to identify which hospitals and specialties are experiencing recruitment challenges, and the appropriate response." In other words, we are now not being given statistics in regard to the number and location of vacancies. The reasons for this is because a substantial number of vacancies for junior doctor positions have not been filled and the HSE will not admit it. It is wrong that we are being denied an accurate picture of the situation and the current pressures on our hospitals.

I ask that the Leader request that the Minister make available not only to Members of this House, but to members of the Joint Committee on Health and Children, information on the exact situation in our hospitals. As the Seanad will go into recess in the next two weeks and many of our hospitals will have no junior doctors for the next three to six months, it is important that we are provided with detailed information on this issue. The only acknowledgement by the HSE is that there are difficulties in South Tipperary General Hospital and Portiuncula Hospital.