Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 197: To ask the Minister for Health the number of junior hospital doctors currently available for duty in the various public hospitals throughout the country; the degree to which this is adequate to meet requirements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18154/11]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Currently there are approximately 4,490 junior hospital doctors available for duty in various public hospitals as against a target of 4,638 NCHD posts.

Approximately 475 NCHD posts both in structured training schemes and in non-training settings will need to be filled on a rotational basis in July 2011. Given that a recruitment process is still ongoing and its outcome as yet unknown, it is too early to identify the extent to which hospitals will be affected by vacancies on 11 July.

Hospital management are working with Clinical Directors in a planned way to devise contingency arrangements which can be implemented if required, to ensure that any resulting impact on services is minimised and that safe delivery of hospital services is assured.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 198: To ask the Minister for Health the number of health professionals at all levels trained in this jurisdiction in each of the past ten years to date; if sufficient personnel are being trained to fill various positions now and in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18155/11]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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The scope of the Question as posed by the Deputy is such that the information required to respond cannot be collated in the time available. However, if the Deputy wishes to identify particular grades of staff in relation to which he has concerns I will arrange to have the issue investigated as a matter of urgency.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 199: To ask the Minister for Health the number of consultants in various disciplines trained in this jurisdiction in each of the past ten years to date; the extent to which this number is adequate to meet requirements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18157/11]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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There are no medical consultants undergoing training in their designated specialty in this jurisdiction. Consultants must already have completed their specialist training before being appointed to a designated specialty.

Non-consultant hospital doctors are doctors in training who, on satisfactory completion of specialist training by one of the postgraduate training bodies approved by the Medical Council, can apply for registration in the Specialist Division of the Register of Medical Practitioners and are eligible to apply for a consultant post in their specialty. Under the provisions of the Medical Practitioners Act 2007 the Health Service Executive (HSE) has responsibility for promoting and developing specialist medical education and training and for co-ordinating such developments in co-operation with the Medical Council and the relevant training bodies. It is a matter for the HSE to undertake appropriate workforce planning for the purpose of meeting specialist medical staffing and training needs of the health service on an ongoing basis and to assess on an annual basis the number and type of specialist medical training posts required by the health service.