Dr. Niamh Humphries:

I will not give you one. There are different reasons they go. One is a culture of medical emigration. They would be hard pushed to get a consultant post in the Irish health system unless they have international experience and an international fellowship. Two is poor workforce planning. Many of them come to the end of their higher specialist training and there are no jobs for them in the system. It seems crazy. It takes a long time to train as a doctor and do postgraduate medical training. Then they come to the end and have the option of staying in Ireland as a locum or emigrating. Needing a break from the working conditions is another reason they go. That can be very early in their careers. A year or two into the system they feel they really need a break from it, so they go to Australia en masse. They go to places like Perth and have a great time working as doctors in a health system that enables them to do that and have a life outside work. They are the three main reasons they go. To meet them and encourage them back, each of those issues needs to be addressed.