We are trying to increase the number of healthcare places in the system and we have added 1,100 across therapies, medicine, nursing, midwifery, etc. Placement opportunities are essential for these courses to go full term. I have been working very closely with the Minister for Health on this. The Minister for Health has appointed HSE regional co-ordinators for placements, specifically for this issue, to ensure that each hospital and healthcare facility is supported and makes these places available. Deputy Ahern mentioned that Trinity College has a relationship with Tallaght hospital. One of the issues is that there has to be more flexibility in the system. A hospital may have always had a relationship with a particular institute but it will not always have it and will have to look beyond it. I will pick this up with Deputy Ahern off-line and will engage with the Minister for Health on it as well to see what can be done for this particular student.

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