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Claim that 900 consultant posts remain vacant branded 'extreme view' by official

Summary

In a hearing on 18 July 2023, a senior Department of Health official, Paddy Barrett, described the claim that 900 consultant doctor posts were vacant as an "extreme view". Lawyers for a group of senior doctors, represented by the Irish Hospital Consultants' Association, argued that new entrants to the health service are paid 30% less than those hired before October 2012, a difference they say is ageist pay discrimination. The doctors, including Solomon Asgedom, David Bradley, Gabrielle Colleran, and others, have filed complaints under the Employment Equality Act 1998 against the Minister for Health, the Minister for Finance, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, the Health Service Executive and a group of voluntary hospitals. The case, which has been adjourned to the autumn, focuses on the alleged pay cut for new entrants and the number of vacant consultant posts, with the State maintaining that there are several hundred vacancies but not as many as 900.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Claim that 900 consultant posts remain vacant branded 'extreme view' by official. Procedural stage: trial

When:

• October 2012 Other
• September 2012 Other
• Sunday September 16, 2012 Other
• 2023-07-18 Publication

Why: The HSE, because parliamentary questions are asked in a particular way, left itself open to saying 900. CNI source report

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Trial

Read the original CNI report