Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 177: To ask the Minister for Health and Children her position on the extent to which a revised hospital consultants' common contract should incorporate special provision for academic consultants or for an academic component in the contracts of consultants in teaching hospitals; if the historic arrangements for the division of responsibility for the payment of salaries of consultants in teaching hospitals as between the health and university sectors may be changed; her views on whether consultants with academic responsibilities in teaching hospitals should have enhanced or reduced arrangements in terms of access to private practice; if these questions feature in ongoing negotiations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12241/07]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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Current Government policy supports measures to improve medical education and training and to promote research. Provisions for academic consultants will be addressed in the context of the current negotiations on new contractual arrangements for consultants. Such consultants have a specific time commitment to the education sector as well as a clinical commitment. Funding of academic consultant posts has traditionally been shared between the health and education sectors. Funding has been allocated across these sectors in 2006/2007 for an additional 25 academic clinicians.

It is also envisaged that new contractual arrangements for medical consultants, in general, will include education, training and research components. Issues relating to private practice will be dealt with in the context of the contract negotiations. Government policy is that private practice should not operate to the detriment of public patients.