Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As I said, I approached this with a view to facilitating it. I will read for the Deputies the exact clinical advice we got back.

We unequivocally do not support or recommend this approach and would highlight the risks of overseas doctors being involved in the provision of such clinical advice and decision-making in such a sensitive area who operate outside the context of Irish legislation and the Irish health service, both public and private.

This is purely a patient safety issue. To both Deputies' points, however, I think there are other ways around it, and the skill set we are setting the AHRRA up with, on reflection, is not one that would say, "Yes, we, the AHRRA, can identify a suitable skill level in this particular science." That is not the skill set we are giving it. That is the Irish Medical Council's bread and butter. I do have a lot of sympathy with the points being raised. As this rolls out, there probably will be ways to address it.

The other feedback we got was that they are not convinced there will be a scarcity, but if there is a scarcity - we have to accept there might be - there are, to Deputy Shortall's point, arrangements in place. We have the treatment abroad scheme and the cross-border directive so we send people abroad all the time - to France, Germany or wherever it may be.

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