Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independents 4 Change)
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1348. To ask the Minister for Health the number of public health doctors here; the number that have qualified as consultants and are not employed as consultants; and the number of public health medicine consultants that came home to fill positions (details supplied) [33332/20]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy, as soon as possible.

Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independents 4 Change)
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1349. To ask the Minister for Health the reason he has not drawn up the proper consultant contracts for such doctors (details supplied) [33333/20]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Consultant status for the Specialty as recommended in the Crowe Horwath Report is an immediate priority. It is also consistent with the role envisaged for the Specialists in Sláintecare and Professor Scally’s Report on the National Screening Service ('CervicalCheck') under a new public health framework. I, my Department and the HSE are committed to the early introduction of a new framework for public healthcare, as provided for in the Programme for Government, and to the framework incorporating consultant status.

It is recognised that the pandemic has accelerated the implementation of many of the Crowe Horwath recommendations in relation to the roles of the Specialists and that this will continue under the immediate Pandemic Framework. Teams are in place in my Department and the HSE working on a business case for submission to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform seeking consultant status and remuneration and this will be completed and submitted as soon as possible. There is an amount of work to be completed and we are committed to progressing this as a priority.

The recent decision by the IMO in relation to balloting for industrial action on the basis of a lack of progress on this issue is disappointing and I would hope that we will be able to engage constructively in the next month to avoid any such action.