Ms Caroline Spillane:

Deputies Kelleher and Healy raised questions about the number of doctors. It might be helpful for the committee to understand that there are currently 18,000 doctors registered with the Medical Council across five divisions. Approximately 7,000 doctors are registered in the specialist division of the medical register, which indicates that doctors have been educated and trained to the highest possible standards in that particular specialty. The register is quite a dynamic listing and there are currently 481 doctors in the specialist division with the specialty of psychiatry, with 236 doctors registered in the specialty of obstetrics and gynaecology.