Ireland unable to comply with EU rule on doctors’ hours

THE Government has told the European Commission it will be unable to comply with rules requiring junior doctors to work more than 48 hours a week for three more years.

The Government was warned by the commission last year that Ireland would face legal action unless it complied with the European working time directive. This stipulates that working hours be capped at 48 hours a week. It also lays down rules for minimum breaks and rest periods.

The commission told the Government there were still cases where junior doctors here were having to work continuous 36-hour shifts, to work over 100 hours in a week and over 70 hours on average.