Educational funding supports

The Training Support Scheme (TSS) is open to all NCHDs who hold a current HSE NCHD contract for a minimum period of 12 weeks and are working in an HSE-funded post. The cost of exams, courses, conferences, and other supports which meet the TSS eligibility criteria can be claimed for under TSS.
The annual amount available under this scheme for each training year (July to July) is linked to your employment grade.

Funding is available pro-rata for doctors employed on shorter contract durations.

Learn more about the TSS scheme and download the TSS guide (PDF).

TSS Funding levels

• Intern: €1,250 per year
• Senior house officer (SHO), or registrar (Reg): €1,750 per year
• Specialist registrar (SpR), GP registrar, or psychiatry SR: €2,500 per year (if on a training scheme)

The Clinical Course and Exam Refund Scheme (CCERS) is part of the suite of educational supports for NCHDs provided by HSE-NDTP. The scheme provides funding towards an approved list of clinical courses and exams.

Learn more about the CCERS scheme and download the CCERS user guide.

As an NCHD working in the public health service and on the general or supervised Register of Medical Practitioners maintained by the Medical Council, you are required by law to actively maintain your professional competence. To meet these legal requirements, you must enrol on a professional competence scheme (PCS) with the relevant training body.

Once enrolled on a PCS, you may avail of the HSE-funded Continuous Professional Development Support Scheme (CPD-SS), which helps NCHDs to maintain and enhance their clinical knowledge and skills and sustain their professional competence. Through the scheme, you can access up to 20 free credits per year for externally validated education provided through postgraduate medical training bodies.

Learn more about CPD-SS.

This NDTP-funded scheme is available to higher specialist trainees and third-year or fourth-year general practitioner (GP) trainees only. Each trainee is entitled to €500 per training year and the fund rolls over if not claimed in any particular year. You can use this fund to support your participation in education and training events that have been approved by the relevant postgraduate medical training body. This fund can also be used to support the purchase of specialist medical equipment required for a training programme. Applications should be submitted to the relevant post-graduate training body.

Learn more about the HSTF scheme and download the HSTF guide (PDF).

The Temporary Recoverable Payment (TRP) was recently introduced to alleviate the impact of reduced cash flow for NCHDs who are being taxed at the emergency tax rate. This is a default level of payroll taxation, used if an employer has not yet received an employee’s tax credit certificate (P2C) from Revenue (for instance, when starting employment or moving from one payroll area to another), and results in a lower salary than usual.

If eligible, you will receive a payment of €850 (gross, and therefore subject to tax) which should cover any loss from emergency tax and is included in your initial pay. This payment will then be deducted from your gross salary in the following pay run, at which point you should be taken off the emergency tax rate. TRP is a temporary measure, in place until a more long-term solution to emergency tax issues is found.

For more information, contact your Medical Manpower Department manager.

One of the entitlements of holding the 2010 NCHD Contract is access to relocation expenses. If you are on an approved rotation scheme, you are entitled to claim up to €1,000 in relocation expenses (in Ireland) once a year, subject to approval on submission of original receipts. Expenses could be for:

• Removal of furniture and effects from one house to another.
• Local short-term storage (up to three months) when required due to housing difficulties.
• Cost of insuring removals or storage (as above) at normal insurance rates.
• Cost of one journey for you and your dependants at civil service rates.
• Lease of a principal residence when the NCHD is the owner or occupier.
• Travel expenses (mileage/train/bus) related to moving, including travel expenses while searching for accommodation.
• Subsistence while looking for accommodation (up to six nights) at €167/night.

Find information about supports available to doctors once they become a consultant.

This scheme, which allows consultants to claim funds towards courses and conferences, reference materials, and professional fees, is open to consultants employed in the public service.

Consultants who hold the new Public Only Consultants Contract 2023 have a CME fund 4 times that of consultants who hold the 2008/1997 contract. The fund is held and maintained by the primary employer, as recognised by the consultant’s contract of employment.

Please note that the vouched CME Allowance for the Community Ophthalmic Physicians, is increased from the current annual rate of €1,500 to €2,750 with retrospective effect from 1 February 2022.

Learn more about the CME scheme and download the CME guide (PDF) and CME guidance document 2014.

The application form should be completed in full and returned to the relevant employer for processing.

Consultant Funding levels

• Consultant (POCC 2023 contract): €12,000 CME fund per annum (pro rata)
• Consultant (2008/1997 contract): €3,000 CME fund per annum (pro rata)