Ms Janet O'Farrell:

They have gone off and they may come back but there is a cyclical pattern. Our colleague, Niamh Humphries, is carrying out research, of which the Deputy will probably be aware. She has spoken to doctors in Australia and is looking to survey doctors based in hospitals in Ireland. She is looking at cyclical patterns of movement among doctors going abroad, coming back, perhaps pursuing training and leaving again. She is looking at what this looks like and the impact on the health service.