Mary Henry (Independent)

I congratulate the Minister on her tour de force and thank her officials for the work they put into this much needed legislation. I realise my profession has not been always welcoming of the Bill but I think it will work well in practice.

Senator Feeney wisely raised the issue of non-EU graduates, who we sometimes ask to obtain letters of good standing from countries which they had to flee. It is ridiculous to ask a person to approach a hospital in Baghdad or elsewhere for a letter of good standing after he or she having fled the country dressed in a burka.

I hope the Bill works but money will be needed for its implementation. The fees of the medical profession would have to be incredibly high to fund all the Bill's provisions. Training and education at specialist level and competence assurance will be particularly important and the Department of Health and Children will have to put its hands deep into its pockets because a considerable amount of money will be needed to make the Bill work as well as the Minister would wish.