There are 15 vacant consultant posts in University Hospital Limerick.

This is only happening since two tier pay was introduced.

There are 14 vacant posts in University Hospital Waterford.

Many posts are for psychiatrists and cancer care.

There are 23 vacant posts in Cork University Hospital.

This includes the Professor of Medicine.

There are 10 vacant consultant posts in University Hospital Galway.

Some have been vacant for years.

There are 17 vacant consultant posts in Beaumont hospital.

This is the national centre for neurosurgery, where you are flown after major head trauma.

There are 11 vacant consultant posts in St James's hospital.

This is considered to have a worldwide reputation and is home to the new children's hospital.

People are not applying for jobs.

There are 10 vacant consultant posts in Tallaght University Hospital.

Many specialties have waiting lists running into several years. People literally die while on the list.

There are 16 vacant consultant posts in the Mater hospital.

Spinal surgery is one of the areas that has the longest waiting lists.

There are 5 vacant consultant posts in the Central Mental Hospital.

This is a huge proportion of posts in such a small hospital.

There are 10 vacant consultant posts in Letterkenny General Hospital.

"They are paid too much" say many. "They'll come from the UK to take the posts" they say.

But they don't even go the few miles across the border to work there.

In Breastcheck southern unit there are 3 out of 11 posts vacant.

Cancer screening is being held back and is already behind.

In Breastcheck Western unit the consultant vacancy rate is 50%.

The west suffers most.

In Cork University Maternity Hospital, 22 posts are filled. And 5 other consultant posts remain vacant.

Maternity is one of the areas where people really feel a big difference between public and private.

Cavan, Drogheda, Mullingar, Tralee, Navan, Naas.

They all have consultant vacancies.

These are posts people would be falling over themselves for. Now many get not one single application.

In Children's hospitals the situation is bad.

Crumlin has 19 vacant consultant posts.

Nineteen.

Is that why you wait years for spina bifida surgery? Unfortunately, yes.

Temple Street has 10 vacant consultant posts.

In a city centre hospital, with a private hospital across the road for consultants to "go and print money" if they want to.

But still they don't come. In fact they are leaving. The pain medicine service is an example.

Palliative care is a good specialty for attracting fundraising. Surely they can get consultants in the door?

No. Our Lady's hospice has 3 posts out of 8 vacant. Think of all the people that die without seeing a specialist.

In community mental health services, there are 28 vacant consultant posts all around the country - Wexford, Cork, Leitrim, Donegal...on and on

The number of vacant posts is rising, not improving

In Galway there are 3 posts funded by the university NUIG.

100% of posts are vacant.

This situation is bad.

And it is 8 years in the making.

Fine Gael and @DrJamesReilly made a political decision that was crowd friendly.

"let's put the boot on the consultants' neck"

Pay for "new entrants" was cut by 30%.

Everyone already in post kept their (yes, high) level of salary.

The market has been distorted.

Vacant posts were never seen before this. Now they are commonplace.

It can be fixed with the stroke of a pen from @DonnellyStephen @MichealMartinTD @mmcgrathtd