I raise the need to have medical interns assigned to Cavan and Monaghan hospital, which is a large level 3 hospital. Interns have not been allocated to the hospital despite its services expanding over the years. Cavan General Hospital has been approved as an intern training site. The vast majority of level 3 hospitals have interns but Cavan and Monaghan hospital, despite promises, has not been facilitated in this respect. Without trainees, the hospital will have difficulty recruiting and retraining Irish-trained doctors in qualification as they will not have the experience of working there previously. Over the years, management and staff at all levels have worked very hard in the hospital to expand considerably the range of health services provided locally. It is regarded as having excellent training opportunities across a range of specialties. The hospital has the personnel and the facilities to provide appropriate training for such doctors. The needs of smaller scale hospitals must be addressed and would help the better delivery of health services throughout the country. In the national doctors training programme, I am very anxious that provision is made for the Cavan and Monaghan hospital with particular reference to the Cavan general site, which has recognition as an intern training centre.

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. Cavan General Hospital is a very important hospital and I know the Deputy has been a consistent advocate for it. I will talk to the Minister for Health. The Deputy is saying the medical interns are not getting placements there. That is serious.

They are not being assigned to it.

They are not being assigned. That is a serious issue. I will talk to the Minister for Health and see if we can get a note to the Deputy on that.

Decisions need to be made by the workforce planning people to assign people to Cavan and Monaghan. They would be very well trained and well looked after, as the Tánaiste knows.

Absolutely.