Check background of all health workers, says Labour

The Labour Party is calling for all health service employees to be fully reference checked before they are allowed to take up their positions.

The call follows the revelations that a consultant at the centre of breast cancer inquiries in Cork and Galway was on sick leave from his job in Finland while he was employed in Ireland.

There were also two investigations into breast cancer misdiagnoses at Dr Antoine Geagea's private clinic in Helsinki.

Labour's health spokesperson, Jan O'Sullivan, says it is hard to believe that the health service is failing to do something as simple as checking references before hiring doctors.

She says a simple phone call would have determined that Dr Gaegae was on sick leave.