Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Deputy Sherlock knows we are treating this issue with urgency. She knows that. She knows the Minister is and she has acknowledged that to me. She knows we are working on it. The Deputy does the issue a disservice by suggesting otherwise. I ask her to please acknowledge, as I have done, that if this was an issue that was simple and that could easily be dealt with, we would already have done so.

We have acknowledged that this is a complex issue. Unfortunately, that complexity means that a group of deeply committed healthcare professionals, who have decided to provide services in communities that the Deputy and I are lucky enough to represent, are now facing the vista of them not being able to continue that work, and what is suffering or could suffer from that is the health of those we are doing our best to stand by.

What I have done is outline the work that has already happened with regard to this, which I know the Deputy is aware of. We have put in place different options to try to resolve the issue but I know they are not leading to the outcome that I want. If I was in a position to outline a detailed solution to this today, that detailed solution would now be implemented, and what we will do is continue to work on this issue and do our best to find a solution to it.

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