Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 201: To ask the Minister for Health the extent to which young health professionals are encouraged to specialise in particular areas with particular reference to disciplines which show increasing demand; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18159/11]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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In relation to doctors the Medical Practitioners Act 2007 assigns the following specific functions to the Health Service Executive (HSE): -

promote the development of specialist medical education and training;

co-ordinate such developments in co-operation with the Medical Council and the relevant training bodies;

undertake appropriate workforce planning for the purpose of meeting specialist medical staffing and training needs of the health service on an ongoing basis;

assess on an annual basis the number and type of specialist medical training posts required by the health service and, following that assessment, put proposals to the Medical Council.

It is then a matter for the Medical Council, on foot of the HSE proposals, to specify the number and type of posts it approves for the purposes of specialist medical education and training.

The issue does not arise with nursing because student nurses choose at the outset which of the five entry point education programmes they wish to pursue - General; Intellectual Disabilities; Psychiatric; General and Children's; and Midwifery.

The Deputy will appreciate that it is not feasible to provide the above information in relation to all health professional grades. If the Deputy wishes to notify me of concerns with regard to a particular profession I will arrange to have the matter investigated.