Annie Hoey (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I have a particular interest around lung cancer screening. I know a pilot programme with RCSI should be rolled out very soon. Mr. Gloster mentioned consultants. This matter has been raised when the Irish Medical Organisation and other groups have been in here. Certain doctors from certain countries cannot progress to consultant level in Ireland. If they are good enough to work up to a certain level in hospital they should be able to progress to becoming a consultant and so on. This might be asking Mr. Gloster to look beyond a plan but there have been conversations around how we might change that. I think a variety of things are behind why certain people from certain countries cannot progress further. There is a crisis in numbers of consultants and recruitment; perhaps crisis is too strong but we have a lot of vacant posts. Is that something that has to come back at Oireachtas level? Does it have to come through the Irish Medical Council or does it have to be addressed by the HSE? If there is a will to do that, and I hope there is, how can the problem of certain doctors from certain countries being unable to progress to consultant posts be addressed?