Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Anti-Austerity Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I am going to try to read Dr. Kinsella's mind a wee bit. When he spoke about workforce planning in Wales and Scotland, Dr. Kinsella indicated that he liked it. However, he felt that it might not fit with the health service in Ireland and its mix between public and private. The question must be asked: is it the case that we make plans to suit the system or that we adjust the system to the plans? When one looks at the population issue with a broad brush stroke - for example, in 30 years' time there will be 2.5 million people in Dublin and eight million in the State, which equates to a population the size of Los Angeles - if we are going to plan this properly, do we need to move more in the direction of England and Wales with regard to a national health service and a centralisation of health services? Can the current system be properly planned for, given the types of changes we face?