Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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338. To ask the Minister for Health the additional supports that will be provided to specialists in public health medicine to bring their contracts in line with their duties and responsibilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35954/20]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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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. Consultant status for the Specialty was recommended in the Crowe Horwath Report in the context of a new framework for public health and enhanced roles for the specialists. It is also consistent with the role envisaged for the Specialists in Slaintecare and Professor Scally’s Report on the National Screening Service ('CervicalCheck') under a new public health framework.

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.

My Department and the HSE are working intensively to finalise this framework, having regard also to the immediate model required in response to the pandemic. We are committed to progressing this and engaging with the Department of Public Expenditure on the matter as soon as possible.