Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputies for putting down these amendments. I see what they are trying to achieve and I want to try to give Deputies some reassurances and information in that regard. The first point is to remind ourselves what we are trying to do in this emergency legislation. What we are trying to do is remove any barriers to the rapid restoration to the register of qualified and experienced health professionals who had temporarily or permanently left the register of the Irish regulator. Whichever the register, if former professionals had been on it we are trying to help them get back on it as quickly as we can. Their qualifications have already been recognised in this country and they have already worked in this country. We simply want to get them back to work as quickly as we can. As Deputies have said, we have been overwhelmed by the many generous offers of people in that regard.

The HSE has identified that retired health professionals would be ideal candidates to be brought back into the workforce as they are people who would be able to hit the ground running. They would be familiar with Irish processes. The focus of this legislation is to facilitate the restoration of practitioners to the Irish registers in a fast and safe way.

I am keen to recognise that there are other health professionals in this country, as Deputies Murphy, Smith and O'Reilly mentioned, who are not yet on a professional register and who are keen to contribute in their chosen field in the fight against Covid-19. One such group is people who are in direct provision in this State. We want them and we need them. We need everyone we can to help us.

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