Mairéad Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the tabling of this question by Deputy Burke. We need to do everything in our power to expand the number of courses. What the Aire mentioned regarding placements is the crux of the issue and goes across the medical profession. It has been raised with me since I took on this brief. One issue that keeps coming to the fore relates to the fact the putting together of the placements is often done on an ad hocbasis. Individual institutions may have a deal with a hospital, but it makes it more difficult when it is not done on a streamlined basis in the way it is done for pharmacies through the Irish Pharmacy Union, IPU. Has the Minister considered providing placements through the Department of Health on a more streamlined basis?

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