I thank the Deputy for his query and I would commit to that. I have publicly said on a number of occasions that the implications of Covid will be with us right through 2021. We need to take it in bite sizes and the immediate necessity is for all of us to take stock on our individual behaviours in reducing social contacts and the level of congregation in which we engage. This is essential to get the numbers down and in some counties and cities to avoid having to be put on level 3, but it is within our grasp. Limeric…

I agree with the Deputy on our engagement with the public over the next three months and the three months after that. By the way, we can stabilise the numbers and get them down. We will do our best at Government level. I know the deputy Chief Medical Officer and his team will do likewise, as will the HSE. This is important. We know from experience that too many people up to now and in previous winters were in acute beds for far too long. When the acute phase of treatment was over, hospitals found it very difficult …

I am not responsible for operational decisions at the level of individual CT scanners, but I do not accept that this issue must wait until 2022. I will talk to the Minister for Health and the HSE about what is going on there. To be fair to all concerned, Roscommon hospital has been advanced in recent years. There were political rows about emergency departments and election commitments which perhaps were not grounded in the proper medical approach, but nonetheless effective investments were made in Roscommon hospita…

Medical politics should not be dictating these issues. There should be a commonsense approach in these situations. As I stated, I am not aware of the detail of the situation on the ground. The Deputy is saying to me that clinicians within the Saolta group are not willing to use these facilities whereas clinicians in other HSE hospital groups are prepared to use them. That seems to be the Deputy's assertion.

The Deputy made that assertion and it raises legitimate questions in respect of why this particular technology is not being used within the Saolta group. I will initiate inquiries as to why that is the case and ask the HSE and the Saolta Group for a report on the points raised by the Deputy. As soon as I have it, I will revert to the Deputy.

I thank the Deputy for raising two issues in his leaders' question. The first relates to the closure of beds. I do not know the specific local circumstances of Killarney or, indeed, Columbanus house which the Deputy mentioned. I met with the HSE for the south region on Friday last. They said they were actively looking for additional beds, in terms of community nursing beds and rehabilitation beds, with a view to making sure that there were proper placements and appropriate beds, for example, for patients who had le…

I am glad the Deputy has clarified that aspect of it. I suspected that it might be a reconfiguration of the hospital because HIQA's guidelines said that what was there was not optimal. I will get a report on it. I met with the HSE South team last week. The need for additional beds outside acute hospitals to provide placements for people is an area of considerable concern to it. I know it is engaging with many providers to get additional capacity. The money is there to get additional capacity and it needs to procure…

First of all, not everybody shared the consternation last week. Deputies can create their own consternation and some of them are quite good at it. They practice-----

What I mean is that it had already been arranged last week, prior to the consternation, that there would be presentations from the HSE and from the Minister this week. Not within the timelines last week, but the following week. That was agreed, actually, by the Covid committee. That is my understanding.

Hold on, please. Equally, I am saying-----

People are saying that we will not have time. There is an hour and a half on the forestry Bill. An hour and a half.

What is being suggested is that nobody on this side of the House should have any opportunity to speak at all.

That is what is being said.

When one boils it down-----

A Cheann Comhairle-----

It is only an hour and a half. Divide up an hour and a half as much as you like. The Minister will be coming in.

The point is, we would love more time for the Bill this evening-----

-----because this Bill is essential for the future of jobs in many rural communities. It is very positive that the Bill is being debated. We would welcome more time for the debate but Deputies will have an opportunity to speak because the Bill will be debated again tomorrow. The consternation is about the hour and a half given tonight and Deputies saying that not everybody will get to speak in that hour and a half.

Let us get real and have some sense of perspective. Not everybody can speak in an hour and a half. The change has been that many backbenchers in the larger parties are saying that they have entitlements as well and they want an opportunity to speak on issues. It is a fair argument and that is all I am saying. Not everybody can be accommodated within an hour and a half but there will be more time tomorrow for the debate on the Bill. I presume people will----

We would welcome more Government time but the Dáil business is very crowded. I am looking at the schedule and it shows a very crowded timetable. Deputies are already looking for more time to debate matters concerning Bus Éireann, which I agree is a serious issue. It is a question of how to divide up the time for the remainder of the week. That is the $64,000 question. It is not for me to decide but we will try to facilitate people as best we can. The Forestry (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2020 is a good Bill and …