David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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1422. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to put in place a new contract for non-consultant hospital doctors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29066/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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My immediate priority is to ensure that the HSE and other employers honour the terms of the current NCHD Contract and ensure that NCHDs benefit fully from those terms.

NCHDs should not have to work unsafe and illegal hours. They must be given access to training and be able to take annual and study leave. They must also get paid for hours worked. I have written to the HSE asking that they engage with the IMO and that NCHDs benefit from the terms in their contracts in relation to all of these issues. The current contract is place since 2010 and engagement with the IMO on a new contract will follow.

David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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1423. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to address unsafe and illegal hours worked by non-consultant hospital doctors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29067/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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As I confirmed at the recent IMO AGM, the Government is committed to reducing NCHDs working hours and improving their working conditions.

Significant progress was made in reducing NCHDs working hours prior to the pandemic, driven by the work of the National EWTD Implementation Group that included representation from the HSE, the IMO and the Department of Health. This led to significant reductions in average weekly working hours and significant improvements in compliance with the maximum 48 hour working week and the maximum 24 hour shifts previously agreed with the IMO. The Group has now been re-established and will focus on improving compliance, particularly in sites where compliance is identified as problematic. In the longer term, the service delivery model, the number of consultants and the ratio of consultants to NCHDs must be improved to reduce the reliance on NCHDs.

NCHDs should not have to work unsafe and illegal hours. The HSE and other employers must honour the terms of the NCHD Contract and ensure that NCHDs benefit fully from those terms, including terms relating to working hours. They must also be given access to training and be able to take annual and study leave and get paid for all hours they have worked.