Cabinet Committees
Dail Éireann — 2025-02-25
============================================================

Micheál Martin (FF), Cork South-Central

There absolutely is not. There is an issue, either in terms of the management of all of this or getting value for money for all of this. There is a role for the Oireachtas as well because people will condemn, give out and criticise but, equally, people then also look for more money. There are a number of strands to this.
Deputy Bacik raised the shortage of public health nurses. Again, there are issues in terms of recruitment or proper follow-through and retention in the public health area.
Deputy Coppinger raised the human right to healthcare that trans people have. Again, there are different debates but to me the national gender service is the way to go and more resources are probably required there. There should be no demonisation in this situation. We need to be very clear about that in the House.
Deputy Cian O'Callaghan raised the section 39 issue. It is my understanding that the Minister is facilitating its referral to the Workplace Relations Commission. The Government is anxious that be resolved in a timely manner.
Deputy Dempsey, who is seated beside me, raised Meath West, the retention of services in Navan hospital and the need for investment there. Deputy O'Meara raised the mid-west. He acknowledged that HIQA was doing a study and rather helpfully suggested to HIQA that the result should be Nenagh, I think I heard him say.

---

Source: Houses of the Oireachtas. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The Official Report is revised after first publication; the fetch timestamp below identifies the version quoted.

Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2025-02-25/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:53:32+00:00
Sitting date: 2025-02-25