James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Question 125: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if the Hanly report is Government policy; if so, the way it will be possible to reduce junior doctors to 2000 when it is clear that almost 1000 junior doctors are thought to be eligible for contracts of indefinite duration; the way, in view of the fact that plans are well advanced to increase graduates from medical schools to over 700 per year, the system will accommodate training places for these doctors as it appears there will be very few places available for them; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28818/07]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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Government policy on medical staffing and medical education and training is informed by a number of reports including the Report of the National Task Force on Medical Staffing (Hanly), the Report of the Undergraduate Medical Education and Training Group (Fottrell), and the Report of the Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Group (Buttimer).

The Medical Practitioners Act 2007 provides the statutory basis for many of the reforms proposed in the Buttimer Report including phasing out NCHD posts of limited training value. Provision has been made for the number of medical school places for EU students to be increased from 305 to 725. This will be made up of a new graduate entry stream, which will provide an additional 240 EU medical school places per annum on the basis of 60 per year over a 4 year period, and increasing the number of EU undergraduate places to 485 on the basis of substitution of 180 non-EU places. An additional 70 EU undergraduate places were provided in 2006 and a further 40 EU undergraduate places were provided in 2007, bringing the number of EU undergraduate places to 415. The first 60 graduate entry places were also provided in 2007.

Government has also approved, provision for an expansion of intern posts from 2011. There are currently sufficient numbers of intern posts in the health service to place any Irish/EU students graduating in the next 3 years. The Protection of Employees (Fixed Term Work) Act 2003 was introduced to ensure that a fixed-term employee is not treated in a less favourable manner than a comparable permanent employee. My Department, the Health Service Executive, the medical organisations and other major stakeholders are participating in a forum to agree guidelines on the drafting of contracts of employment which are compatible with the requirements of the legislation. These guidelines are currently being finalised.