Colin Doherty: Bertie Ahern is wrong - Irish healthcare relies on migrants

Nurses from India, doctors from Egypt, midwives from Spain, and therapists from Brazil are all economic migrants, but our system would collapse without them, writes Colin Doherty

Cork Indian Nurses (COINNS) protesting delays to renewal of Irish residence permits. Picture: ElmayaReels

Former taoiseach Bertie Ahern’s comments about "too many" immigrants from outside Europe were unpleasant. They were also deeply damaging to our healthcare system.

As a practicing doctor, medical academic, and occasional patient, I see everyday that the system is completely dependent on healthcare workers from every part of the world. Whether in our largest teaching hospitals or smallest rural facilities, foreign-born healthcare workers are not an exception — they are the backbone of day-to-day care.