Mr. Paul Reid:

I will take the last point made by the Senator, then ask some of my colleagues to respond to the other points. I fully agree with the Senator. The challenge for us in terms of international recruitment and, indeed, recruitment generally is - I worked for 30 years in the private sector so I know the flexibility one can have outside the public service - that we are governed by public service policy. There are certain ways in which we can help people come home from aboard. There is relocation, within certain limits, available for people which we utilise. It is a difficult and challenging issue.

On a general point in terms of incentivisation and recruitment, the HSE is a good place to work. The health service is a great place to work. It might not always be perceived that way in the context of the public commentary about them. I would say to everybody in terms of helping us that sometimes, and this goes for all our stakeholders including the HSE, sometimes we need to present a very positive experience of what people experience when they work in the HSE. It does not always get out there. To be frank, people are very reluctant to come into public service jobs now, particularly at senior level as we are trying to recruit. There is a big challenge for us all to make the public service attractive, to ensure we are getting the right people. I know that many people would not come into the public service for many different reasons. However, the Senator is right: it is a great place to work. There are good conditions and pay and people have good pension entitlements. That is what we are trying to leverage. Do not take that as a criticism of any of us, including me. It is just a general point. We can create a better perception of what it is like to work in the health system, and it is really good.