Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Health if he will confirm that it is the case that consultants who have retired on a generous package and pension are being re-employed by the Health Service Executive South at Cork University Hospital and University College Cork; the numbers and the costs involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44342/12]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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As this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.

Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide details of consultants employed by the Health Service Executive South who are not partaking in seeing public patients but continue to see patients privately; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44343/12]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Medical Consultants employed in the public health service are contractually obliged to treat public patients.

Consultant Contract 2008 limits private practice for newly-appointed consultants on a Type B or C contract to 20% of activity. The upper limit for consultants who held a contract prior to 2008 is 30%. The HSE has put in place arrangements to measure consultants' private practice and to pursue issues of compliance where necessary. The Contract provides for a series of steps to be taken where a consultant exceeds the level of private practice permitted in his or her contract. The 1997 Consultants Contract also limits the extent to which consultants can engage in private practice.

The Health Service Executive has advised that it recently examined a case where it had been alleged that a consultant in the HSE South was exclusively treating private patients. The HSE is satisfied, having considered the matter, that the consultant in question was on a career break at the time and was not in breach of the terms of the career break scheme.