Ms Anne O'Connor:

Consultant recruitment and retention is a big challenge. We have a lot of work going on under Professor Frank Murray, within the HSE, who is heading up the medical manpower and planning unit. Professor Murray is doing a lot of work going throughout the country looking at exactly what are the challenges. We are looking at different models in respect of recruitment of consultants to try and ease that pathway. Clearly, there is a big issue in terms of some of the retention challenges as well and how we can make that career pathway attractive for people. That is across the board, not only in this area.