Hospitals in the South-West are the worst affected when it comes to consultant vacancies.
The Irish Hospital Consultants' Association says the number of free posts has increased to 728, according to new data from the HSE.
One in five consultant positions are now vacant.
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There are 153 posts free within psychiatry, and over a quarter of the roles within emergency and intensive care medicine are not filled.
The South/South-West Hospital Group, which includes University Hospital Kerry, has 117 vacant consultant posts.
