Fergal Browne (Fine Gael)

I join with Senator Brian Hayes in calling for a debate on health. We should focus on filling vacancies. Clearly, patients are not the centre of attention when it comes to staff on sick leave, retiring or on extended maternity leave. There seems to be no regard for patients within the HSE. I came across two cases recently arising from the fact that the orthodontist in Carlow-Kilkenny was out. We have been told that it could be two or three years before people can obtain appointments again. This is crazy. In every other walk of life in the private sector, when a temporary or permanent vacancy arises it is filled far more quickly. It should not take that long in the public sector. I asked the HSE how many vacancies currently exist but God knows when I will receive a reply.

ADHD assessments must be undertaken by an educational psychologist. Students cannot get special needs assistance unless they have this assessment, yet there is a major shortfall of educational psychologists. We have a crazy scenario whereby the HSE will pay exam fees of clinical psychologists to go abroad, to England for example, to do a doctorate, yet it will not pay for an educational psychologist to study abroad for a doctorate. Meanwhile, there is a major shortfall in this area which is crying out to be filled. The Minister for Education and Science and the Minister for Health and Children should examine the issue. Why are the fees of clinical psychologists paid, but not those of educational psychologists? I am sure educational psychologists will gladly work in the Irish educational system for a few years afterwards in return for their fees. One lady in Carlow is facing a bill of £12,000 sterling per year to study for a doctorate in England. If she did it in Ireland it would take three years, whereas it takes only a year in England. If the overseas fees were reimbursed, we could have educational psychologists two years earlier in our own system, which we badly need.