Marie Louise O'Donnell (Independent)

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Shortall, to the House. I am delighted she is here. I feel like an innocent saying that because I am a rookie Senator but I am aware she has an extraordinary political career and will be an extraordinary person in that role.

I have a simple question that the Minister of State may be able to answer. I listened carefully to the views expressed by all the other Senators. I have read all the material including the explanatory memorandum, the Bill and the explanatory notes. I have a son studying medicine and am guaranteed surgical stockings in my old age because that is probably all that will be left. Senator Crown is very well informed, knowledgeable and practised in this area. Throughout the material there is a reference to a magical two years. It suggests that after the two years and this fifth division, the supervised division, all will be well. How will the problem be solved after the magical two years? Is this another biscuit to the bear or the finger in the dam that was referred to by my fellow Senators? Why, after two years, will the problem be resolved?

Also, the Minister of State said in her contribution that the position is not related to funding, an embargo on recruitment, a moratorium or reorganisation of hospitals. The general question, therefore, which nobody has answered, is how this has come about. How will we ensure it never happens again, and how can we ensure that in two years? Is it the position that we have not prioritised the education of our own students in regard to medicine and that we have given them second place to others studying medicine here because we do not pay for it in the same way as other students who come here do? Why have we ended up having to pay for it now when we should have attended to the problem at the beginning?