Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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Question 41: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the action that will be taken to ensure an adequate number of junior hospital doctors are maintained in hospitals here; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34678/10]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 242: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the total number of consultant posts currently vacant or waiting to be filled throughout the private and public hospital sectors; if the filling of any such posts is affected by the recruitment embargo; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35150/10]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 244: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the total number of doctor posts currently vacant or waiting to be filled throughout the private and public hospital sectors; if the filling of any such posts is affected by the recruitment embargo; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35152/10]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 41, 242 and 244 together.

Subject to overall parameters set by Government, the Health Service Executive (HSE) has responsibility for determining the composition of its staffing complement. In that regard, it is a matter for the Executive to manage and deploy its human resources to best meet the requirements of its Annual Service Plan for the delivery of health and personal social services to the public.

In relation to the consultant grade, Government policy is to move to a consultant-provided, rather than a consultant-led service, where consultants work on a team basis. Consultant Contract 2008 includes provisions covering an extended working day, consultants working in teams rather than as individuals and an increase in the length of the working week from 33 to 37 hours. In addition the moratorium on recruitment allows for the recruitment of additional consultants with the Employment Control Framework providing for the creation of new hospital consultant posts by the suppression of two non consultant hospital doctor (NCHD) posts. The HSE has advised that there are 459 approved consultant posts vacant. However, the majority of these posts are currently filled in a locum or temporary capacity.

In relation to NCHDs, the HSE has advised that at present approximately 260 of 4,638 posts are substantively vacant. Many of these posts are also being filled by locums or other short-term contractual arrangements. The moratorium on public sector recruitment is not a factor in these NCHD vacancies. Other countries are also experiencing difficulties in recruiting NCHDs.

My Department is working with HSE and relevant stakeholders to ensure that an adequate number of NCHDs is maintained in the public health service. In addition the HSE are currently developing a range of strategies and initiatives for the forthcoming NCHD rotations in January and July 2011 with a view to maximising recruitment. Measures in train include restructuring training rotations to ensure they're appropriately aligned with service requirements; development of a centralised recruitment process for service posts; introducing a single contact point for HSE agencies to obtain locum / temporary medical staff and also measures to progress the appointment of additional Consultants. My Department does not have figures for the number of hospital consultant and NCHD posts currently vacant in the private hospital sector.