Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I want to pick up on what Deputy Ciara Conway said about speech and language therapy. I have asked on a number of occasions over the years for the Minister for Health to look at this and deliver a service through our national primary school network. What is happening is that parents get appointments which they cancel or fail to turn up for and the child may not be seen again for six months. If the therapist arrived at the school, the principal will be there and can ensure the child gets the therapy. It would be a huge improvement for children.

I congratulate the Minister on the scheme he has launched to bring nurses home.

I have been asked to raise as issue that is causing major worry in Dún Laoghaire. One nursing home had to close last week because it could not find qualified nurses. Nursing homes recruit nurses from abroad, but when they gain experience, hospitals take them on. The nursing home in question is back at square one, having to recruit more nurses. Nursing homes have identified a solution to the problem - fast-tracking registration. It takes a long time - I have been 12 months - for nurses from abroad to get onto the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland, NMBI, register and obtain their PIN from An Bord Altranais, the Irish nursing board. It would help if that process was fast-tracked.

I am delighted with the Minister's proposed action plan to tackle obesity. Perhaps he might have a word with the Minister for Finance about introducing a sugar tax, with the revenue raised to be ringfenced to treat people with diabetes and other problems associated with obesity.

The treatment of junior doctors is disgraceful. These highly educated qualified doctors must attend for interview every six months and have to move around the country. Senator Colm Burke raised the issue of their being put on emergency tax. They are treated with disdain. As they have to move around the country, they cannot make any family decision. I do not know of any other group of qualified professionals who are treated as badly as junior doctors.