On behalf of the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, I would like to thank Senator Murphy for raising this matter and for the opportunity to update the House. A central objective of the programme for Government is to deliver increased levels of integrated healthcare with service delivery reoriented towards general practice, primary care and community-based services to enable a “home first" approach. Integral to this, is the development of primary care centres across the country in our local communities. Primary care centres…

On behalf of the Minister I would like to again thank the Senator for raising this matter and creating the opportunity to update the House. The Minister recognises the frustration of the people of Ballaghaderreen who are waiting for the development of this new primary care centre. As noted, the HSE is engaging with developers to seek clarification regarding the viability of the undertaking. The HSE has also asked for a timeframe for the delivery of the project. Should the preferred provider be unable to proceed the…

Thank you a Leas-Chathaoirligh. I am here on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Donnelly to reply to this Commencement matter. I thank Senator Carrigy for the opportunity to address the issue of specialised dentistry within the public service. The salaried HSE public dental service providers offer care to several groups of patients including those with complex and additional needs. In addition, public dental service provides a programme which includes screening and necessary treatment for children at ages corresponding…

I take on board what the Senator is saying and I will certainly follow it up with the Minister. I assure him access to dental care through the public system is a priority for the Minister and the Government. The Minister has made substantial additional investment in oral healthcare services in recent years. In addition to the more than €200 million the Government invests in public oral healthcare services annually, an additional €17 million in one-off funding has been invested since 2019 and 2020 to address service…

I thank the Senator for raising this matter. I apologise that the Minister for Justice cannot be here this morning. She has asked me to deal with the matter on her behalf. First, I express the Government’s condolences and my own to the families whose loved ones were killed and to those who were injured in the terrible events of 17 May 1974. It is hard to believe that, on a day such as this almost 50 years ago, so many people going about their daily lives had those lives callously and brutally attacked and changed f…

I fully accept what the Senator has said; justice delayed is justice denied. As he will be aware, later this week, we will be marking the 50th anniversary of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings. It is a tragic day recorded in our history, the deadliest single day of the Troubles. On Friday, there will be commemoration events in Dublin and Monaghan attended by the President and representatives of the Government. All of the victims and survivors of those brutal bombings will be remembered. The Good Friday Agreement reco…

I thank all Deputies for their contributions. It has been a useful discussion around delivering on a goal that we all share in this House. The programme for Government set out the pathway for expanding universal access to healthcare in a manner that is fair and affordable. The Government has delivered and is continuing to deliver on that commitment. The final progress report on the Sláintecare implementation strategy and action plan shows that unprecedented progress has been made in transforming our health and soci…

I thank Deputy Buckley for raising this matter. I am dealing with this reply on behalf of the Minister. Dentures and denture repairs for medical card holders are provided by contractors through the dental treatment services scheme, DTSS, which provides dental care, free of charge, to medical card holders aged 16 and over. Denture-related items are available from both dentists who hold a DTSS contract and contracted clinical dental technicians who only provide dentures on the scheme. Services available annually and …

I fully understand where the Deputy is coming from in relation to any person having difficulty accessing dental care. It is clearly set out in the statement, "The HSE is required to support the provision of emergency care to adult medical card holders who have difficulty accessing a local dentist." Access to dental care, including for adult medical card holders, is a top priority for the Minister and Government. The Minister has made substantial additional investment in oral healthcare services in recent years. In …

I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle, Deputy Crowe and the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, for their kind comments. I thank Deputy Collins for tabling this question. Following many months of extensive negotiations in the WRC an agreement was reached in November 2023 which saw an increase in funding for pay of staff in section 39 organisations, as well as section 10 and section 56 organisations. An overall phased increase of 8% was agreed, with an initial increase of 3% backdated to April 2023, a 2% increase from 1 N…

Officials from the Departments of Health and Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, the HSE and Tusla were invited to attend a WRC process on 16 October 2023 following similar engagements with trade unions representing section 39 and section 56 bodies in recent months. Following productive engagements with the WRC, strike action was averted. This is a recognition of the importance and regard the Government and its agencies have for the sector. The commitment of all parties to this matter has been ev…

Most of the funding for section 39 and section 56 organisations comes through the HSE. The funding for some of the programmes that employ people did not necessarily come through the HSE and therefore they fell outside the agreement that was reached under the WRC. It is my understanding there are further discussions on that issue and every effort is being made to resolve it. It affects a small but important group and every effort will be made to find a solution to the problem.

It is not necessarily from the HSE. It comes from different sources, which is one of the problems.

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. In fairness, he has been instrumental in the primary care centres that have been delivered and in having them delivered in a timely manner. I am dealing with this matter on behalf of the Minister of Health, who has asked me to thank the Deputy for raising this matter and for the opportunity to update the Dáil on this issue. A central objective of the programme for Government is to deliver increased levels of integrated health care with service delivery reoriented towards …

I fully understand the frustration and so does the Minister. It is one of the issues encountered. I refer to where a developer has agreed to provide a facility but cannot then proceed. There is frustration because of legal difficulties that may arise. The Minister fully recognises the frustration of the people in the local area who have been awaiting the completion of this centre for some time. As was noted, the HSE is engaging with the developer to address the barriers to moving forward with the completion of this…

I have only been in this position for the last two weeks. I think this is now my third week. I got notice that I had been asked to deal with this matter late yesterday evening. I have no difficulty coming into this House and dealing with any Topical Issue matter in relation to health. I know now that I might end up regretting saying this, but it is my responsibility to come in here to address a Topical Issue query raised by a Member. I will do everything possible to make myself available to deal with these question…

I thank the Deputy again for raising this issue. An objective of the programme for Government is to deliver increased levels of integrated healthcare, with service delivery reoriented towards general practice, primary care and community-based services to enable a home first approach in line with the Sláintecare goal of receiving the right care in the right place at the right time. The delivery of a primary care centre in Inishbofin remains a priority for the HSE. This project has been delayed due to legal processes…

I will come back to the Deputy. I wanted to say that as someone coming from a legal background I understand this, but I accept 14 years is a long timeframe and it should not take that long. Work continues on the provision of health centres in the Galway region. The primary care in Moycullen opened in April 2023. Proposed-----

The proposed centres for Oughterard and Spiddal are at expression of interest stage-----

-----planning permission for the new ambulance base in Recess was recently issued. Other locations in the Galway west network may be identified in the future. The development of primary care centres is based on geographical location, population density, topography and existing facilities. In order to enhance capital investment, the Department of Health is currently developing a strategic health investment framework to ensure investments are evidenced-based, equitable and ensure Sláintecare reforms are achieved with…