Galway Bay fm newsroom - Only 6 per cent of all consultants treat public patients exclusively, with one consultant at University Hospital Galway working far more private hours than public.
RTE Investigates has found that there are major delays for public patients because consultants at 14 out of 47 acute hospitals are exceeding their 20 per cent limit of private work.
A contract in 2008 saw consultants awarded significant pay increases if they limited their private practice, with most contracted to work between 37 and 39 hours per week in the public system.
In one case a consultant at UHG was found to work an average of 20 hours in private practice compared to 14 and half public hours per week.
Social Democrats Co-leader, Roisin Shortall says it's a terrible indictment of the system that consultants spend more time treating private patients than public ones.
