Most hospital consultants who have been in their posts since before October 2012 are currently on basic salaries of between €138,000 and €182,000 for their public work.

And some consultants in academic and maternity hospital mastership posts are still earning basic salaries of well in excess of €200,000, according to the latest Department of Health published salary scales.

This is after a number of public sector pay cuts in recent years have reduced consultant salaries.

The statistics show that many hospital consultants, in addition to their basic pay, are also entitled to additional payments and allowances which can amount to as much as €46,000 per annum.

However, 'new entrant' consultants, taking up a specialist post for the first time in Ireland, have been on considerably lower salary rates since October 2012 - these rates currently range from a basic €95,000 to €121,000.

Health Minister James Reilly recently decided that consultants moving from one hospital post to another in Ireland should not be subject to these lower rates, but should retain the higher salary they had in their previous post.

Clinical consultants on the higher basic pay rates - ranging from €178,000 to €182,000, are on 'Type A' contracts under which they do not have private practice.

Those on other contracts are allowed private practice in a public hospital or a private hospital 'off-site'.

Academic consultants, those who lecture at medical schools, usually in addition to performing their clinical work, currently get basic salaries of between €162,000 and €222,000, depending on what type of contract they are on.

Maternity hospital Masters currently receive basic salaries of averaging around €240,000, including a special allowance in respect of their administrative duties.

The pay details also shows that some consultants, on top of their basic pay for public work, are also entitled to a range of allowances and extra payments.

Consultants who hold administrative clinical director posts and who have been in post since 2012 receive an annual allowance of €46,000 in addition to their basic salary.

Other extra payments include a 'flat annual payment' of €2,430, and depending on workload, call-out payments of up to just over €10,000. There is also provision for emergency call-out payments of up to €22,000 a year, depending on the number of emergency call-outs to the hospital.

There is also an extended duty liabillty flat payment of €7,226 available.

However, not all consultants would get substantial extra payments in respect of call-out, emergency call-out and extended duty payments.

The above payments are for treating public patients, and do not include payments for treating private patients, where consultants entitled to do so under their contracts.