Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

It is important to point out that there are good reasons for trying to attract private capital into operations such as that as well. It is not simply a one way street in terms of the argument.

Third, I am not sure what the Deputy from Dublin North is speaking about. Locum doctors are obtained from across the world to come here and be employed and it does not seem to cause a problem for anybody. I do not understand the Deputy's point in terms of the legality of recruiting people from outside the country to come to work here. I do not understand what that is about.

On the other issue the Deputy raised, it was agreed by everybody in this House that there would be aptitude testing as part of checking the suitability of people for the medical profession in that it would not be based on academic achievement but aptitude testing as well. That was agreed by everybody in the House at the time.

See this speech in context