Jim D'Arcy (Fine Gael)

I do not know how true that is, but that is the popular view. Senator Barrett referred to Dr. Noel Browne being brought down by the medical profession or the church, but I thought it was the same thing at the time because the bishop's brother was the consultant and his sister was the mother superior or hospital matron. It was that type of situation whereby we had the elitism that Professor Crown spoke of earlier. I would like to see non-consultant hospital doctors having a proper career path here.

A year ago, the HSE reduced the number of training posts without consultation from 4,700 to 3,600, although it is now up to 3,750. That could form part of a further solution if the Minister considered it.