Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I would just point out that Professor Tom Keane, in speaking to the Committee on the Future of Healthcare said the most significant thing that we could recommend is for there to be clinical accountability across the system. That is a huge gap in the RHA framework at the moment. I will leave that with Mr. Gloster.

I want to move on to workforce planning. Mr. Gloster speaks about the need for additional places in third level colleges. There are two other elements to that as well and I would like to get his views on them. The first is the shortage of clinical placements within the HSE, which are essential if we are to up the numbers in the colleges. Is Mr. Gloster across that issue as of yet?

The other issue is the question of retaining staff. Retention is arguably as important as recruitment because we are training very large numbers at very high expense and very large numbers are leaving the system. Is Mr. Gloster familiar with the work of the consultant, Niamh Humphries, on the reasons why hospital doctors are leaving the system? If he has plans at this stage, what are they on the retention piece?