16th January 2004
What is the point of New Year resolutions if one knows they will not be kept? I gave them up years ago and concentrate on wishes instead. Not that I am in a position to assure you that concentrating on wishes has done me or anyone else much good. However, being the optimist that I am, here are a few for 2004 involving members of the Government.
Number one - I wish the Minister for Education, Deputy Noel Dempsey would look again at his plans for entry into medicine, dentistry and allied professions for graduates only. At present the main method of entry is from the CAO points programme. Graduates can apply too, and a certain number of them are selected. We have a large number of non E.U students paying higher fees in all our medical schools. These students subsidise our medical schools. Without them these already cash strapped institutions would be in dire trouble.
The Deans of the Medical Schools, the Medical Council and others have asked the Minister to delay his plans to allow for more discussion - 2004 is supposed to be the last year of the present system of entry - and even more important, for more money to be allotted to the medical schools. The Minister has said he wants to make higher education and the professions more open to less well off people - his plans will do the opposite. The children of the poor frequently in the past and now have had to forego opportunities to become educated to the best of their abilities. They must enter the work force as soon as possible. Lengthening courses such as radiography and physiotherapy to six years will make sure more of these young people are excluded.
My second wish is that Minister Michael Martin, Minister for Health and Children would take more notice of the demography of General Practice in this country. Some time ago I read an alarming article by a man who must be considered one of the least of the alarmists in Ireland, Dr. Leonard Condren, in which he portrayed a gloomy outlook for patients in this country due to a shortage of general practitioners. Now, however depressing it may be to have to wait months to see a hospital consultant, the idea of waiting even a few days to see their family doctor will cause dismay amongst the Irish public who are used to instant service.
The Brennan report made interesting reading regarding the price of a consultation with a general practitioner from an accountant's point of view. But in practice, few people complain about G.P.'s fees, being well used to paying far more to other trades and professions for their services. I wish Minister Martin would try to stop the drain from General Practice before the neighbours are reduced to coming around to my kitchen to consult me with my copy of MIMS.
A wish for the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy Michael McDowell is next. It cheers me to see legislation is to be brought forward to allow some sort of access to the Family Law Courts by a person who will be allowed report on the content of cases there without those involved in the disputes being identified. Rightly these cases are held in camera but we need to know if justice is being done. Aggrieved fathers certainly feel this is not always the case but without some facts how can we know if this is so?
Doctors more than many professionals have a knowledge of the background of family law cases. We know, also, of the lack of resources available to those who have to work to repair and ameliorate the damage to families in troubled situations. Social workers can be without places of safety to put children . Sometimes children are still put in hospital beds, "social admissions", (even though I have been told in the Seanad this no longer happens) when foster care cannot be found. There are few psychologists to deal with children because of the shortage of clinical psychologists in Ireland. Despite this, an attempt was made to stop, at very short notice, a course for such post graduate students in Trinity last year. No places are available for disruptive children or those with mental illness.
So, when we are allowed read about what is happening in the Family Law Courts I am sure many will support my wish for more resources for those involved in the Family Law Courts.
Fourth wish involves the Tanaiste, Deputy Mary Harney, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment. Quite rightly, I think, she supported those within the European Union who wanted ethical guidelines and regulations for research with stemcells, especially embryonic stemcells. Unfortunately, those who did not wish for regulation prevailed and the moratorium on research has now been lifted with no restrictions in place. She is quite right not to pursue this issue for the next few months but I do wish she would initiate a debate on the use by pharmaceutical companies of embryonic stem cells in developmental toxicology. We have a huge pharmaceutical industry and the companies have a right to know if they will be liable to objections here if such technology is used abroad in the development of drugs which are to be manufactured here.
Let me assure you, dear reader, I have many more wishes but some appear to be retreating into the realms of fancy.
Senator Mary Henry, MD
