Dr. Bryan Maguire:

As I have said, QQI's concern is with the academic standards of these programmes. In the case of private nursing programmes, the placements are also secured in private sector hospitals. There is a question about the structures of public and private sector institutions on the health side as well as on the education side. The question about determining the number of places in the public sector nursing provision, whether educationally or with respect to hospital placements, is subject to the constraints mentioned by the Deputy. There are a number of placements available in the public sector hospitals and HSE clinics etc.