James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, for being here today and recognise the seriousness of this legislation. Although it is quite prescriptive, it is very finite. There is a lot in it but it will make a significant difference collectively across other work the Government is doing in the area of health. It will address a lot of issues around trying to get foreign medical professionals involved in our health service. I do not need to tell the Minister of State or any other Deputy in the House about the challenges facing the healthcare service. We have a swiftly growing population as is indicated by the results of the most recent census. There is significant pressure being placed on the health service, with significant growing pains. It is important that we do absolutely everything we can to ensure we have an efficient healthcare service, including trying to get people from a multitude of different countries to come here and work. Many other developed countries of the same standing as Ireland from an economic point of view have been doing so for a long time.

There is one area I would like to highlight and in which I would like to see a little bit of work being done. I have encountered a number of people who came to Ireland to become pharmacists from countries such as South Africa. I understand that a significant portion of them are still encountering difficulties. They were told there were delays as a consequence of Covid and they are still waiting for further information. I believe it is under the remit of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland, PSI. Perhaps that is something the Minister of State could check with the Secretary General of the Department of Health and the Minister in their respective capacities. It needs to be looked at. I am sure the Minister of State will agree it is remarkably unfair that people who have been here for three and four years are not able to work in the capacity in which they came here. In the cases to which I am referring the people came here as pharmaceutical technicians. I am very familiar with the pharmacy sector in general as I have two siblings who work in that profession. I am kept well briefed on the issues pertaining to it. I look forward to meeting the Irish Pharmacy Union, IPU, next week at its budget briefing. Those provisions are very welcome.

The other point we need to get serious about, and Mr. Watt as Secretary General of the Department of Health is better placed to do this than anyone else, since he did it for himself, is pay for our healthcare professionals. It is exceptionally important that we look at the substantive issues when it comes to paying consultants whom we desperately need to bring down our waiting lists. There has been Trojan work done by the Government in that area but we need the medical professionals to do that work, whether it is children with spina bifida or multiple other long-term illnesses that need serious surgeries. We need the surgeons to be here in Ireland and we are competing with countries that are paying far in excess of what surgeons can be paid here. That has to be said. Every citizen in this country wants to ensure when making contributions to the State that we will have a health service that is fit for purpose and can deal with the challenges in the event that people fall ill.

It breaks my heart a little that we have so many people who come to Ireland to study medicine but do not stay here. It costs hundreds of thousands of euro to train people to become doctors, which we do exceptionally well. We have centres of excellence such as the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland just down the road from Dáil Éireann, Trinity College, University College Cork, the University of Limerick and the National University of Ireland Galway. There are fabulous schools of medicines in those universities. It is important that we look at the exodus of young doctors, people who go as junior doctors to travel abroad. I understand that it is compulsory to get training abroad in order to become a consultant. That is not what I am necessarily saying but I am aware of that. It is a shame that we lose so many people. Quality of life is a factor but pay is also a factor. In Australia and Canada, for example, they earn multiples of what they can earn here.

I recognise Deputy Mythen's point on rural GPs. It is the same in east Cork. The doctors' surgeries cannot take on any more patients. A growing population is a factor and we have a slightly higher growth rate than the national average in east Cork. I know the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, is very familiar with my area. This is a major concern for rural Deputies. When people move into an area, they struggle to get in to see a general practitioner. This shows why this legislation is needed, if it is going to help us bring in those medical professionals. We certainly need to pursue more legislation in this area.

On home help, home care assistants and carers in general, a serious amount of work done has been done in this area throughout the pandemic, often in very difficult circumstances. That has to be recognised, as the Minister of State has done. I agree on backlogs. When it comes to the Covid payment that was made to healthcare professionals, I would like to see outstanding issues resolved and I know the Minister of State and the Minister are working on that issue.

The legislation is welcome, as is recognised by all sides of the House. We need to look seriously at pay. My message to the Secretary General of the Department of Health is that if he could address that, it would make an enormous difference to the quality of healthcare on this island and build upon the health service we have. It is a profound concern that many people have. The Minister of State and the Minister are acutely aware of that challenge.

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