Doctor's hours are falling and progress made, Reilly insists

The Minister for Health, James Reilly, insists that progress is being made on ending long working shifts for junior doctors.

Reilly said the number of doctors having to work 24-hour shifts is being reduced throughout this year, and he's insisted that the government will comply with EU rules on working hours by the end of 2014, though with great difficulty.

"It's going to be a real challenge- there's no question. It is clearly very much a whole range of issues that need to be addressed in order to solve this issue," he said.

Minister Reilly said around a third of non-consultant hospital doctors still have to work 24-hour shifts, but that figure was over 50% earlier this year, and the average working week is also down to 54 hours.

The issue of doctor's hours has been firmly placed on the agenda as the Irish Medical Association launched a major campaign with the threat of industrial action over the problem.