It is true.
This is why public waiting lists are so long.
It'll never be addressed-most of society are afraid of consultants including politicians, who also live in the same leafy areas and mix in the same social circles.
Their private practice is a valuable source of income for the hospitals they're based in so they're complicit in the wholescale theft of public money.
The consultants I referenced both have lucrative private practices and all appointments are within the working day, not evenings and weekends. They are contracted for 39 hours to the HSE and do not work nights.
There was a slew of calls to Liveline by public patients who have been on waiting lists for years the day after the programme was broadcast. The completely out of character muted response from the presenter was astounding.
If it had've been rogue tradesmen fixing roofs there would've been the usual populist hyperbole with name calling like "gurriers".
But when it's embedded dereliction of duty, discommoding of the public and theft of taxpayers money by "pillars of society" there's no comment.
And yes they do run the health service.