Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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112. To ask the Minister for Health the steps he plans to take to ensure that all hospital consultants are compliant with the terms of their public contract; the extent of serial breaches that he and his Department are aware of by hospital site; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36544/14]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The current consultant contract which was negotiated in 2008 provides for the regulation of private practice and includes mechanisms for ensuring compliance by consultants with the permitted ratio of public to private practice.

The HSE has advised that appropriate application of the mechanism for monitoring of public:private mix levels by individual consultants takes place at local hospital level. Clinical Directors across all hospitals review the public:private mix ratios of individual consultants and where required appropriate meetings and communications with consultants about necessary corrective actions are issued. As part of the process, following appropriate timeframes for corrective actions, the HSE will initiative formal procedures with consultants (in line with the procedure set out in the Consultants Contract). Every month hospital CEOs and Hospital Clinical Directors receive a specific report on each consultants public:private mix ratios for the preceding period.

In parallel to hospital monitoring, the HSE receives a national report detailing the total number of consultants compliant/non-compliant across each individual hospital. This allows the HSE to review with hospitals the requirement for corrective action where necessary. Discussions about public:private mix levels forms part of the performance management agenda with hospitals on a periodic basis.

It should be emphasised that the Consultant Contract specifies a series of steps and timelines that allows a non-compliant consultant to become compliant again. Thus, whilst a number of consultants may, according to the monitoring reports be non-compliant, they may also be actively undertaking steps to become compliant.

Implementation of Consultant Contract 2008 is primarily a matter for the HSE and the Voluntary Hospitals and agencies that employ consultants. My Department has written to the HSE concerning the need to ensure that consultants' private work is in accordance with the provisions of the contract and I am aware that the HSE has made contact with all hospitals in relation to the matter. As I have no role in compiling data relating to private practice I have directed your enquiry concerning breaches by site to the HSE for reply.