Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 59: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the action she has taken on the finding of the Comptroller and Auditor General that although an implicit objective of the consultants contract 2008 was to remove any financial incentive on the part of consultants to engage in private practice above an agreed level, no financial adjustment has yet been effected; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1774/11]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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The 2008 consultants' contract includes new measures to strengthen the management, monitoring and control of activity in hospitals with a view to ensuring that the level of consultant private practice within public hospitals does not exceed the permitted ratio. The HSE in conjunction with the ESRI has introduced a range of new measurement systems in order to meet the requirements of the contract.

Since January 2009 each consultant is issued with a monthly public/private mix measurement report. This documents the consultant's activity in relation to inpatient, daycase, outpatient and diagnostic activity over the previous three months. Under the terms of the contract, written notification will issue within a period of a month to a consultant who exceeds the permitted level of private practice.

The contract provides that the employer may require the consultant to remit monies in respect of any private practice excess to a research and study fund.

My Department has asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy on the detailed operational aspects of this matter.