Mary Henry (Independent)

I thank Senators O'Toole and Norris for drawing the attention of the House to the problems non-EU doctors have, not just with the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform but also with the Medical Council. Will the Leader urge that a new medical practitioners' Bill, which has been sought by bodies such as the Medical Council for years and which has been promised for over a decade, be brought before the House in the next session? I am sure we could do as good a job on it as we did on the Veterinary Practice Bill.

No. 18, motion 11 on the Order Paper, in the name of the Independent Senators, requests the Minister for Education and Science to increase the number of places for medical students this autumn, as recommended by the Hanly report. I am sure many Members support this motion and I would be grateful if they would add their names to it because this would lend far more weight to it for the Minister. We are not in a position to debate the motion between now and the leaving certificate results when there will be the usual moaning and groaning about the points required for medicine and the shortage of Irish doctors. Without support for this motion, nothing will have been done and matters will remain the same as they have been for the past 25 years.