Mr. Kevin Duffy:

There are a variety of factors and trying to rank them is difficult. Issues that were readily identifiable included career opportunities and progression. We have made recommendations on that. For very many people, bearing in mind that the vast bulk of nurses are women, flexibility of working hours can be an issue. That was touched on earlier by the Acting Chairman. Initiatives should be taken to try to make it more attractive for people to come back. Training opportunities would be welcome, because most people who work in the health sector want to develop their skills and abilities. That in turn helps in terms of career progression. In-service training is important. There are a raft of initiatives that are being taken and that need to be developed further. The ones that came across most in our deliberations were those I have mentioned. There are other factors that also have to be looked at but it is generally a question of trying to make it more attractive.

Leaving aside altogether people who leave and whom we are trying to get back again, the Irish health service is dependent, as are other health services, on people who are trained in other countries and on getting them here. There are a number of elements that delay this process, although they are clearly necessary, such as the need to verify people's qualifications.

In some instances people's identity needs to be verified. Garda vetting needs to be done. I return to the point that Deputy Kenny made earlier about the effects of the embargo, which did not just affect the numbers recruited directly in healthcare provision. Rather, it affected the totality of the public service, including the administration services in the health service. There are shortages in the personnel department, where it is often difficult to have the numbers of people to have several competitions, to verify candidates' qualifications and to do the various checks that need to be done. They are all problems.