Madam, - Your edition of December 27th reports the Tánaiste's intention to guillotine the consultants' contract negotiations and impose a new contract on all newly appointed consultants. She is quoted as saying that "about 1,000 current consultants are over 55 and they will be replaced [over a 10-year period] and we need a further 1,600 on top of that".
According to the most recent statistics published by Comhairle na nÓspidéal, there are only 343 consultants aged 56 or over. This represents a mere 21 per cent of current consultants.
Again according to the Comhairle figures, the estimate for retirements to the middle of the next decade is 420 consultants.
Yet again, the Tánaiste has got it wrong. - Yours, etc,
FINBARR FITZPATRICK, Secretary General, Irish Hospital Consultants' Association, Dundrum, Dublin 14.