In relation to Swords, I am pleased to announce today €1.4 million in the HSE capital plan to take the premises the Deputy referenced to design feasibility stage, which is positive progress. In relation to a primary care centre in Donabate, we have had to look at other options for delivering it because the tender did not work; it was not value for money for the State to progress with the tender that came into us. We are trying to see what other options are possible to cater for that growing population. Today, I am …

The Deputy is right. What we did in Letterkenny and Sligo was additional, and not instead of. It was not a regional spread but it was additional. That is very important. In relation to diabetes, the Deputy is right that there is a very good hub, the Benbulbin hub in Sligo, dealing with diabetes, respiratory and cardiology. What we want to see is that replicated in other parts of the country, such as Letterkenny. That is what we are trying to do. The Deputy will be aware that Letterkenny has the very excellent virtu…

Hear, hear.

We did read it.

It did not say that.

It does not say that.

I am pleased to present the Health Information Bill to Seanad Éireann following its recent passage through the Dáil. The Bill is about something very simple but very important - making our health service safer, more joined up and more patient centred by ensuring that health information can move securely to where it is needed. Today far too much of our health information is held in totally disconnected systems. Patients repeat their stories, clinicians lack full information and vital insights for planning their care…

Not terribly long. This is the most important part. Is that okay?

All section 38 and voluntary hospitals are expected to proactively co-operate with the implementation of IFMS and other key national systems. Service arrangements entered into between the HSE and voluntary hospitals now specifically commit to the introduction and implementation of IFMS and contain various provisions that outline the level of co-operation required to ensure appropriate levels of monitoring and governance, without prejudice to their independence and autonomy. As with our engagements with private hosp…

I thank Senators and the Cathaoirleach. Last week, I secured Government approval for funding for the broad electronic health record - the completely integrated system - and to go to market. We know there are vendors interested, and I will be going back to Government once there is a sense of what the market is saying in relation to bidding for that. There are three stages to electronic health records. One is the patient app, which Senator Costello referenced. Nearly 150,000 people have downloaded that. The second st…

The Senator raised quite a number of issues. I suspect that she and I have spoken to many women who have many of the same issues. We must recognise that endometriosis is a whole-system condition, but it does in many cases start from a gynaecological position as well. We have to acknowledge both of those things. We are very much trying to move the dial in terms of how it is understood and described. That is why the framework has been advanced beyond where it started out to really try to recognise, as the Senator sai…

As this is an internationally accredited list, we would simply use the list because we can stand over it both legally and from a clinical perspective. Those clinicians mentioned by the Senator should speak to the clinical director, Dr. Cliona Murphy, about this matter. We also have tried to expand the surgical options here. I demanded a programme of an additional 100 surgeries be done in quarter 4 of 2025 using every tool that we could among our maternity hospitals. I am pleased to say that we got 142 extra surgeri…

I thank the Deputy for raising this on World Cancer Day and thank him for continuing to be an advocate for cancer patients across the island. As the Deputy has said, he and I could speak about this for a good hour and not get through all of the different issues. We are well aware that every person in this room and the people whom we represent are impacted by cancer in their families, in their broader families and in their community. While we have made huge strides in cancer care since the first national cancer stra…

I am here for the public system. I am here to invest in the public system and to champion the public system. A total of 80% of our cancer care gets delivered through the public system and that is my focus. The Deputy is correct to highlight the replacement programme in St. Luke's. I have updated the Deputy that there is a replacement equipment supply commencing in quarter 1, with a contractor in place this year. In quarter 4, we are also working on a detailed business case for the Beaumont phase 2 expansion. There …

I appreciate Senators Kyne and Byrne bringing forward this motion and giving us the opportunity to discuss this important issue. It is timely as well because there are a couple of updates that I can give that will be helpful in this context. We have a shared goal in the motion to enhance our genetic and genomic capability and to deliver high-quality care alongside value for money for the State. We are on the same page and it is a particularly timely conversation. As a number of Members said, the value that genomics…

That is not right.

You opposed it. Then you go looking for votes at the same houses you objected to.

It is disgraceful.

None of those families would be living there if it was down to you.

It is true.