Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Perhaps the committee could make some recommendations about work permits in order to see if that issue can be addressed.

With regard to the mentoring programme operated by the Dental Council, I have a situation where a Ukrainian trainee dentist is looking to be mentored by a dentist who has a practice. The process of engaging with the Dental Council on the matter has been completely frustrating the dentist in question. Even getting a reply to an email is taking an obscene length of time. It will be many months before the dentist in practice knows whether he is in a position to take on this person. I am not quite sure how this mentoring programme works. Is it that the Ukrainian dentist would not necessarily have the same qualifications as an Irish dentist? It just seems bizarre that somebody would be put through such an amount of red tape in order to be able to hire a Ukrainian dentist. In view of the lack of dentists, one would think there would be a complete open arms approach to facilitate this. Will Mr. Hourihan comment on the mentoring programme and specifically on what the association's experience has been with qualified Ukrainian dentists who have come here fleeing the war and who are ready, willing and able to work?