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Pringle calls on Government to ensure families of migrant health care professionals can get visas
- Updated: 13th June 2024
Independent TD for Donegal, Thomas Pringle, has called on Government to make sure that families of doctors and consultants who come to work in Ireland are able to obtain visas to join them.
Addressing the Dáil today, Deputy Pringle said: “I am sure you will agree that migrant doctors, nurses and consultants play a vital role in our hospitals and GP clinics and they are keeping our healthcare system from collapsing completely.
“It is essential then that we are doing everything we can to retain all healthcare workers, especially given the crisis in healthcare that we have been experiencing for a number of years now.
“Despite this, it has come to my attention that there are multiple cases of doctors and consultants who have been unsuccessful in securing visas for partners or children, with many then forced to take the decision to leave Ireland again.
“Not only is it incredibly unfair and cruel to force this decision on people who make an immense contribution to our society, it leaves vital consultant roles vacant in hospitals such as Letterkenny and Limerick at an extremely critical time,” he said.
Deputy Pringle raised the issue during Questions on policy or legislation.
Deputy Pringle said: “Why has the government made it difficult for families of consultants to obtain visas? And do you think this is reasonable given the healthcare crisis we are currently experiencing?”
In his response, Minister Michael McGrath said that Deputy Pringle made a very good point about the vital role people play who come to the country to provide health care services and said the issue has come to him at constituency level as well. He said they are following up on a policy level with the Department of Justice and said he will relay the deputy’s comments to the Minister.
