Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I will. Regarding the NTPF, we never agree on it over on this side of the House. We are not, however, necessarily talking about 21,000 procedures but 21,000 appointments. Not all of those appointments result in subsequent procedures and, indeed, I believe many do not. I have two questions. One concerns doctors and consultants working abroad. We know that the 30% pay cut, and the resulting disparity, is a barrier to those people returning home. This issue was not resolved in the budget. If it was to be settled, however, how far away are we from those doctors coming home? What is the lead-in time to that happening?

My second question is for Dr. McGarry and is on practice nurses and other staff working in primary care centres. He referenced the need for additional practice nurses. Would he see that increase happening in conjunction with an expanded role for those practice nurses, or would he simple see more practice nurses doing the same things they do now? We all agree that is a bit of everything and they do it very well.