Dr Fred English protesting working hours outside St James’ Hospital, Dublin in 2013
Europe’s highest court has held that Ireland is in breach of EU law because it does not consider the training of junior doctors as part of their normal “working time.”
In an opinion, published this morning, the European Court of Justice held that the government was wrong to assume that the training of junior doctors did not fall within the remit of the EU Working Time Directive, which governs the maximum hours that EU citizens work and minimum rest periods.
The opinion noted that junior doctors are required to both provide a medical service and to carry out training to a high level, and that according to HSE rules themselves there was no “artificial barrier” between both requirements.
There you go now.
Ireland in breach of law over doctors’ hours – European Court of Justice (RTÉ)
Previously: Junior Doctors on Broadsheet