Colm Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I join Senator Sean D. Barrett in congratulating the three students from Kinsale, Ciara Judge, Émer Hickey and Sophie Healy-Thow, on their huge achievement in winning the EU Young Scientist competition and the Google Science Fair award.

It is a major achievement not only by the students but by the school, teachers and parents who gave the necessary support. It is a credit to the school because it is not the first time it has won the Young Scientist competition, and it is due to the dedication and commitment of teachers there and around the country who work with students to prepare for the Young Scientist and Technology competition. We do not give them enough credit for their work, much of it outside school hours.

I thank Senator Norris for his kind remarks on the Medical Practitioners (Amendment) Bill. When I began work on the issue, I set a target of having it passed within three years. It will come through within two years and I welcome it. I do not care who gets credit for getting it through; the important thing is that the necessary legislative change is made on this important issue which needs to be dealt with.

Senator Quinn raised the issue of people who give up their jobs to return to college and study medicine. They borrow extensively to fund the four-year degree course and find they are unable to service the loans after they graduate. The Senator is correct that when one starts a business one is entitled to write off interest on money borrowed, whereas when one borrows money to return to college to acquire skills and a degree and provide a service to the country, one is not entitled to write off the interest on one's loans. The issue arose at a medical intern conference in Cork in June. I am delighted that the people who attended the conference worked on preparing the draft proposal, which has been submitted to the offices of the Taoiseach and the Ministers for Finance and Health. It should be part of the concessions in the budget as an incentive to keep young medical graduates in the country. We need them, our hospitals need them, and it is a necessary amendment to the Finance Bill.