Dr. Paul Kavanagh:

Perhaps I will add just a few short comments from a southern perspective. There has been, on foot of a number of strategic reviews of public health in the South, big investment in terms of increasing the volume of doctors training in public health medicine. There have also been significant changes around terms and conditions, which, in the context of Deputy Conway-Walsh's question around talent and retention, meant that remaining within a career in public health medicine is much more attractive. The big opportunity in the South is around learning lessons from colleagues in Northern Ireland around the importance of multidisciplinary public health. That is where we need to focus now when it comes to building out the workforce.

As a board member of the faculty of public health medicine here in the South, I stress that we have excellent relationships with our colleagues in Northern Ireland. I have been on visits to and met with members of the faculty there. I also met the trainees as well. We have received the dean of the faculty from the UK to our faculty as well. There are very strong collegiate relationships, and lots to build on.