Professor Robbie Gilligan:

Yes. It might take different forms but effectively a recognised formal committee or group is charged with managing the supply of a sufficient number of competent graduates to meet the workforce needs with different specialisms and so on. Issues around data, population trends and so on are being monitored and feedback is coming back all the time on how the system is working, the adequacy of field work provision and perhaps the adequacy of the programmes being provided in the universities. Changing social conditions may require new material to be taught and so on. All of those conversations are taking place within some kind of a structure. We hope something like that is emerging but one of the challenges is to make sure that the key players are around the table, that they are fully engaged and that there is a consistent push. This issue raises its head every so often and then subsides for a while but it needs to be getting consistent and, at this stage, urgent attention.