Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independents 4 Change)
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823. To ask the Minister for Health the stage of negotiations on the consultant contract; the number of vacant public consultant positions in the health service; and if a breakdown of vacant public consultant positions will be provided. [50959/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Currently a process concerning the proposed Sláintecare public-only Contract is in train between officials from my Department, the HSE and the consultants' representative bodies (the IMO and IHCA) under an agreed independent chair. 

With these important talks ongoing, it would inappropriate for me to publicly pre-empt any potential outcome in relation to a specific date, save to say that I and my officials are fully committed to the Sláintecare vision, and to offering the new public-only contract to all consultants as soon as practicable. 

Recent census data for the public health service shows that of over 3,500 whole time equivalent posts that are filled, about 2,750 are filled on a permanent basis, nearly 500 are filled under fixed term contracts and just over 250 under specified purpose contracts.

As it is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to revert to the Deputy with the further data sought on vacant consultant positions.