Written answers

Wednesday, 28 September 2005

Department of Health and Children

Health Service Staff

9:00 pm

Photo of Finian McGrathFinian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Question 277: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the reason there is a huge shortage of public health doctors; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24646/05]

Photo of Mary HarneyMary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The 2003 public health doctors agreement was negotiated by the Department of Health and Children, the HSE and the IMO, which is the representative body of public health doctors. The agreement allowed for 60 posts of director of public health medicine or specialist in public health medicine, 30 specialist registrar posts, 94 senior medical officer posts and a maximum of 86 area medical officer posts. It was agreed that no further area medical officers would be recruited. A joint implementation group, comprising representatives of the Department of Health and Children, the HSE and the IMO, was established in 2003 to oversee the implementation of the agreement. The group has overseen competitions to fill specialist registrar, area medical officer and senior medical officer posts. More than €13 million was provided in 2003 for the implementation of the agreement. While most of that funding was issued on a once-off basis in respect of retrospection, the ongoing cost of the agreement will be more than €7 million per year. The competitions which were organised to fill all senior medical officer vacancies failed to yield a sufficient number of suitably qualified candidates. While the Department has no direct role to play in filling the posts it has suggested through the joint implementation group that the remaining vacancies in this grade should be advertised nationally and internationally. The IMO, however, is opposed to this suggestion and wants the HSE to fill the vacancies through confined competition. I have been informed by the Public Appointments Service that it is in the process of organising competitions to fill a total of 12.5 posts.

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