Written answer
Health Services Staff
Ireland had 140 WTE public-service consultant respiratory physicians in December 2025 (2.6 per 100,000), below the 2.8 guideline, with training expanding.
3429. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Health the number of consultant respiratory physicians working in public health services; her plans to expand this number; the international recommended best practice ratio for consultant respiratory physicians to population; and Ireland's ratio. [56319/26]
Comment on this
The HSE National Doctors Training and Planning (NDTP), undertakes national medical workforce planning in collaboration with the Department of Health and postgraduate medical training bodies to ensure there is a sustainable supply of appropriately trained doctors to meet current and future healthcare needs.
The HSE Medical Workforce Report 2025-2026 reports that there were 140 WTE consultant respiratory physicians employed in the public health service in December 2025, equivalent to approximately 2.6 WTE consultant respiratory physicians per 100,000 population. This represents an increase of approximately 75% since 2021. The report is available at the following link: www.medicalcareers.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Medical-Workforce-Report-2025-2026-FINAL-DIGITAL.pdf
The HSE Dual Training Specialties of Medicine - Medical Workforce in Ireland 2024-2038, states that UK workforce guidelines published by The Royal College of Physicians (RCP), Consultant Physicians Working with Patients 2013 indicates 142 WTE consultant respiratory physicians are required for a population of 5.1 million. This would be equivalent to approximately 2.8 WTE consultant respiratory physicians per 100,000 population.
The number of Higher Specialist Trainees (HSTs) in Respiratory Medicine in Ireland has increased by 39%, from 54 trainees in 2021/2022 to 75 trainees in the 2025/2026 training year.
Significant growth in Non-Consultant Hospital Doctor (NCHD) postgraduate medical training places and the number of doctors in training has been achieved in recent years, as reported in the HSE NDTP Medical Workforce Report 2025–2026.
Work is continuing to progress between Department of Health and HSE National Doctors Training & Planning (NDTP) to establish additional postgraduate medical training places, and to support targets for increases in the number of specialist doctors in training, informed by long term medical workforce planning projections.