Doctors are continuing to emigrate from Ireland in high numbers and this is having a ‘seriously damaging effect' on the health service, the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) has claimed.

According to Dr Clive Kilgallen, who is chairperson of the IMO's Consultants' Committee, cuts made to wages during the recession have been a major factor in many doctors' decision to move abroad.

"This is a systemic issue, in particular for consultants appointed after 2012, who could be working for up to €50,000 per year less than their colleagues who were appointed before 2012, and are doing the same job. This is grossly unfair and it is no wonder so many of them have turned their backs on our health service," he said.

Dr Kilgallen was speaking at the publication of a new study, Tracking the leavers: Towards a better understanding of doctor migration from Ireland to Australia 2008 - 2018, which was published in the journal, Human Resources for Health.

"This report shows that, although general migration to Australia decreased as the economy recovered after 2014, the number of doctors emigrating to Australia has continued to rise year-on-year since then.

"This shows that doctors are unwilling and, in many cases, unable to stay working in a health system which is unfit for purpose following years of Government austerity. Because of this, patient care in Ireland is suffering badly," he insisted.

The report points out that Ireland's dependence on internationally trained doctors has increased from 13% in 2000 to 42% in 2017, and last year, there were 500 vacant consultant posts nationwide.

The report also notes that in 2014, 684 Irish/EU doctors graduated in Ireland, however 627 doctors emigrated from Ireland to countries such as Australia, the UK and the US.

"These figures are clearly unsustainable for our health service. The Government needs to act urgently to fully reverse cuts in order to provide the conditions that our doctors need in order to work safely and effectively," Dr Kilgallen said.