Dr. Sally Ann Lynch:

I partly answered that question but I am happy to repeat my response. To provide an example, two posts were advertised in 2019 and we managed to recruit one person. We have been trying to get a locum for God knows how long but just cannot do so. It is so difficult. I will keep trying until I am dead.

The setting up of the training scheme was delayed as a result of the Medical Practitioners Act 2007. No new training was allowed to be set up, so that delayed the start of our training programme by seven years, which was critical time lost. I was the person who set up the training scheme and it was difficult to get buy-in from the HSE and the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, RCPI, because small specialties tend to get squashed by the larger specialties. To get to the goal of 15 consultants, it is important to recruit and train locally because one just cannot recruit from abroad. For example, as I mentioned, there are six consultants in Northern Ireland. All of them, as well as three consultants who have now retired, trained in Northern Ireland, apart from the original person. The health service there knows it cannot recruit either, so it has put big efforts into training locally. That is what we have to do. We have one post and are hoping to be given a second but as there is such a small mass of consultants, one cannot have too many trainees. One would need more consultants to accommodate more trainees because it is not fair on the trainee if he or she never sees the consultant because he or she is too busy. It is a serious issue. Many of us will be retiring quite soon.