Like everything, it is better to start something and develop it rather than wait for something else. We are trying to start so much with pharmacists. It is important to remind everyone about the national condom distribution scheme too, which we are expanding to pharmacies on a phased basis. Obviously condoms are not prescription items and do not have to be covered by this legislation. Pharmacists do not have to prescribe them as such. Free condoms are being made available in pharmacy consulting rooms. Access is bei…

I move amendment No. 10: In page 3, lines 8 and 9, to delete “medicines, products and devices” and substitute “medicines and products”.

I acknowledge the survivors here, both in the Distinguished Visitors Gallery and those who have joined us as a community in other ways. The apology offered today by the Taoiseach is an important acknowledgement by the State of the wrong done to young boys and young men within this State and not acknowledged or handled correctly in any way by the institutions of this State. For the survivors gathered here and those potentially listening beyond these walls, of course this moment is about something much more important…

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. It is my view and his view that care in our public hospitals must be based on clinical need, not ability to pay. He will also be aware of - and shares - our commitment to ensuring full compliance with the terms of the public only consultant contract, POCC. The position regarding consultants on the POCC is unequivocal: they are not permitted to engage in private practice within public hospitals. There can be no local discretion, exemptions or deviation from the terms of th…

As I said to the Deputy privately and am happy to say to him on the floor of the House, we did a productivity analysis in the Department of the actual activity being carried out in each of the four big maternity hospitals to try to determine what the level of private and public activity was. It certainly showed instances of type B contract holders going way beyond the 20% that would be implied in their contract, but it is not information that I felt was of a sufficient standard to be able to publish, share and stan…

I could not agree more. I thank the health committee for its robust engagement. This is a shared project, making sure that this contract and structure that we have all agreed are implemented. I have concerns about the operation on a hospital by hospital basis, for example, how intensive care facilities might be used between private and public and what the reimbursement structure is. I do not have robust answers to questions about the use of diagnostics, for example, if I am in a private hospital in a region and sud…

I agree that too many people are waiting too long to access primary care and community services. A total of 1.3 million patients were seen by primary care therapists in 2025, which is significant. There is no question, however, that there is rising demand and increasing complexity, particularly for children's services. This is placing sustained pressure on services nationally. As the Deputy has referenced, that is why my Department and the HSE are driving forward a joint programme to reduce these waiting lists. Thi…

I agree with the Deputy. As I look at the actual numbers on the lists, not only is there regional variation but there is variation by specialty as well. To be very transparent, if I look at the waiting lists from May 2025 to 2026, for example, there has been a reduction of nearly 7,000 people on the audiology list. There has been, however, an increase of nearly 3,000 people on the occupational therapy list. There is an inconsistency there. There has been some progress is some areas, which is great, but none in othe…

Of course the Deputy does.

We are trying to end the practice of the money moving from community to acute care and make sure that this does not happen. I will name some additional waiting list initiatives that are important. In budget 2025, we had base funding of €8 million for community-based waiting lists, particularly for psychology and audiology which had previously only received once-off funding. That is more embedded now. I totally agree with the Deputy in relation to the number of people waiting. We will have a dedicated programme over…

I agree this is a very serious issue for paediatric trauma cases and potentially acquired brain injuries. In light of the recent series of cases and the position paper published by the faculty of paediatrics, the deputy chief medical officer has formally written to the HSE’s national director of public health seeking an initial public health report on e-scooter related injuries in children and young people. That report is intended to clarify the scale of the issue, the impact on health services and whether any rece…

As the Deputy and I are in broad agreement on this issue, I will simply use this opportunity to reiterate the potential impact of an acquired brain injury on a child or a teenager. Acquiring a brain injury is a lifelong and potentially life-limiting condition. It can impact their ability to walk, to think, to speak, to eat. It is important that we say these things in the Dáil. The impact of an acquired brain injury can be devastating, not just for the individual but for everybody around them. To acquire a brain inj…

I have spoken to the Minister of State, Seán Canney, specifically on this in recent days and gave him a copy of the letter as to what is happening in relation to the public health assessment. I know that he, like the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, is very exercised by this, as is the Minister for justice. Not one of us in this House wants to enable or perpetuate a situation where children are acquiring injuries of this kind. They are devastating. At the same time, not one of us can go around and police every incident ei…

It is wonderful to have this conversation with Deputy Kyne in the Dáil because I recall visiting this hospital with Senator Kyne, as he was then, now Deputy Kyne, representing Galway and a continual advocate for University Hospital Galway. He and I were there in May 2025, when we launched the completed master plan, setting out a clear vision for a modern model 4 hospital serving Galway and the west and north-west region. I commend University Hospital Galway and the REO, Tony Canavan, on the way in which they got to…

I certainly will. In the first instance, I will discuss that with HSE estates. The Minister, Jack Chambers, and the Department of public expenditure and reform are as keen to develop health infrastructure as I am. The accelerated infrastructure report and the work in that is a very significant advancement in that regard. Already we are seeing different areas where we are making quicker progress than we otherwise would have done, so it is very important, and I will certainly do that. It is also important that I high…

Not only was it done in the Mater but it was done successfully in Limerick. As the Deputy says, we have this standardised design that can be replicated and has been in other places. I will take that up with the Department of public expenditure and reform and HSE estates to try to advance it as quickly as humanly possible. There is no question but that the additional beds are necessary for Galway. They still have to manage their demand and do all the other things, but they need more beds. It is an area of rising pop…

I was very concerned about this and specifically about the management of waiting lists, particularly for spinal surgeries. Because of that, along with the former HSE CEO, I undertook an audit into equity of access and waiting list management in CHI. Recognising the challenges families have faced regarding paediatric services, we also undertook a separate qualitative piece of work to try to capture their experiences away from the strict terms of the counting audit and to ensure their voices inform the development of…

I reject the question of trying to present this in any particular way. I commissioned the audit because of my concerns about this. There is no question but that I was uncomfortable with what was being found overall, but specifically when I drill into those a bit more there is not a systemic problem I can see. What I did see and what I was concerned about was that less complex procedures were being too easily moved to private facilities, resulting in the more complex procedures remaining. I think what the Deputy des…

Yes, I am a firm supporter of the public system. There is no question about that. Some 71% of our consultants in CHI are on the public-only consultant contract. However, there is also a contractual requirement to continue to provide private space for those old, type B contract holders. It is anticipated that fewer than half of the eight planned consultancy rooms will have any private clinics. The rest of the rooms are dedicated for public clinics. More important, they will be private clinics winding down over time …

At a time when many waiting lists have been impacted by the ongoing trend of higher demand and increased referrals, it is wonderful to be able to report some positive progress. In Our Lady of Lourdes, at the end of May, 939 patients were waiting for an inpatient day case procedure, which is a decrease of 17% when compared with May 2025 and a 14% decrease from the start of January. More importantly again, 90% of those patients were waiting twelve months or less and the number waiting over 12 months has decreased by …