Mr. William Prasifka:

One of the reasons this matter has come to public attention is confirmation hearings in the High Court arising from complaints. For a sanction to be effective, it must be confirmed by the High Court so there is a confirmation hearing. Complaints arose about particular doctors who were consultants. In one case, the President of the High Court noted a particular consultant was not on the specialty register and raised a great deal of concern about it. The simple fact is we are concerned about it. We are concerned about any diminution of standard. It would not be fair for us to say there was a spike in complaints but the reason we are speaking about this is complaints were made and it was brought to the attention of the President of the High Court and, therefore, it has become a subject of public focus. We have been working with the HSE through its national doctors training and planning unit. It has been looking at the problem and trying to identify it. It has been trying to put in place mechanisms so that doctors receive the correct training and are eligible to be put on the specialty register. We are anxious to work with the HSE in a way that does not diminish standards.