Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Question 95: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children her views on a report that Irish hospital consultants earn five times the average income here compared with just twice the average income in Norway and just under three times in Germany; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that this does not include additional income from private practice which can be higher again; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35464/05]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The OECD report, Health at a Glance, to which the Deputy refers, states that data gathering and calculation methods vary across countries and therefore warns that "cross-country variations in remuneration levels should be interpreted with a lot of caution". In Ireland, hospital consultants' salaries are determined by the review body on higher remuneration in the public sector. This is an independent body established in 1969 to act as a standing body whose primary function is to advise the Government from time to time on the general levels of remuneration appropriate to hospital consultants and other high level public sector posts. The Government is committed to implementing pay increases as recommended by this review body. The most recent report of this review body is Report No. 40, the O'Brien report, which recommended a 7.5% increase to consultant salaries. Consultant salaries also receive general pay round increases in line with other public sector posts.

The basic salary for consultants holding the 1997 common contract ranges from €129,000 to €168,000, excluding allowances. Consultants with contracts which substantially restrict access to private fees — geographical whole-time without fees and category I contracts — receive higher public salaries but earn less from private practice. Consultants with greater access to private fees hold the category II contract and receive lower public salaries.

The Deputy will be aware that negotiations will commence very shortly on a new consultant contract. One of the objectives of a new contract will be to achieve a much greater degree of precision in the contractual arrangements between health service employers and this valued, highly skilled and highly paid group of employees and, in particular, agreement to changes in consultants' work practices for the benefit of patients. This should also cover integral involvement of consultants in governance, management and accountability frameworks in acute public hospitals.