Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is great to raise it with the HSE and with the Department, but approval for that will have to come from the Department of public expenditure. That is the place where that decision could be made. We see the difference it makes to nursing and to the skill sets.

To be honest, my daughter is a trainee occupational therapist and last year she was placed in Dublin. She had been training in Galway, pays her rent on her accommodation and then she is gone for eight weeks and has to find other accommodation for those eight weeks, along with the travel and everything else. I am speaking as the mum of one and I am no different. Every other person experiences exactly the same. It is important that they are able to travel to get the experience within the State. She was very privileged to do it in the National Rehabilitation Hospital, NRH, but those who cannot access such opportunities are reducing their capacity to learn. I agree with the Leas-Chathaoirleach.