Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy and I, and I think everyone in this House, will agree everyone wants all scanners in all hospitals to be used to their full capacity. There is not a family in Ireland who have not been touched by cancer. If we can provide the best use of the equipment in which this State has invested and empower the incredible professionals to work with that equipment by providing them with more colleagues, that is a good thing and it is something on which we should all bang our heads together to try to make progress. I am grateful for and acknowledge the work of the Minister and Department for Health in working with my Department and officials in this regard.

My understanding of the meeting that took place in February is that both Trinity and UCC were asked to provide further information to the Department of Health on a number of areas. Both institutions indicated they would be in a position to expand their numbers of places from this September but that they would need clarity some time next month. I understand one institution has come back with an updated proposal and we are expecting the other one to do so shortly, which will be key.

In respect of bursaries, the short answer, in the time available to me, is that that is a matter for the HSE as the employer, but it is something I will take back to the agency and the Department of Health on foot of the Deputy's intervention.

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