The information requested by the Deputy is not readily available to the Medical Council in the form set out in the question.
The most accurate information held by the Medical Council in relation to the number of doctors on the Specialist Division of the Register in the area of radiology arises from the annual retention process between May and August, when doctors are required to retain their registration by completing the annual retention application form. This retention data provides insight into the number of doctors currently employed in the Irish health service. All doctors who complete the retention process report their current or most recent area of practice. If a doctor reports practising medicine in Ireland, they may report working as a hospital consultant or other consultant or specialist as a follow up to this question. This question on role became mandatory in 2024. Figures from before 2024 may slightly underestimate the true value.
It is important to note that certain cohorts of doctors do not undergo retention, this includes all doctors joining the Register after 30 April in a given year. Further information on the retention process is available in the workforce intelligence reports published on the Medical Council website. The Medical Council’s 2024 report is available at: www.medicalcouncil.ie/news-and-publications/reports/medical-workforce-intelligence-report-2024.pdf
The table at the link below sets out the specialists retaining and self-reporting practising medicine in Ireland in the area of radiology from 2022 – 2025. As data on nationality is not readily available across all datasets, this information has been broken down by basic medical qualification, where doctors are grouped as graduates from Irish Medical Schools, graduates from the EU or UK, or graduates from an international medical school outside of Ireland, the EU or the UK.
Radiology by Basic Medical Qualification 2022 – 2025
The NDTP report The Radiology Workforce in Ireland 2024–2040 identifies significant projected growth in demand for radiology services over the coming decade, driven by demographic change and increased diagnostic imaging activity. The report identifies a requirement for substantial expansion in radiology workforce capacity and recommends increasing annual radiology trainee intake from 39 trainees in 2025 to 75 trainees by 2028. The total radiology trainee cohort is projected to increase from 164 trainees in 2024 to approximately 375 trainees by 2032 in order to meet projected service demand and address existing workforce deficits.
Delivery of the recommended increase in trainee numbers will require significant additional investment in funded training posts, trainer capacity, infrastructure, and associated service supports. The Department is working closely with the HSE on the funding and service planning required to incrementally expand radiology training capacity in line with identified workforce demand. The published report is available here: www.medicalcareers.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/radiology-report-2026.pdf
