I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "That" and substitute the following: "Dáil Éireann resolves that the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) (Amendment) Bill 2023 be deemed to be read a second time this day twelve months, to allow for consideration by the Joint Committee on Health of the legislative proposals contained in the Report of the Review of the operation of the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018." I thank the Deputies for tabling the Health (Regulation of Ter…

I again thank colleagues for their time and for tabling this debate. I start by acknowledging the work of healthcare workers providing these services. Many statements have been made here today about the services not being sufficiently accessible and being flawed. They are not sufficiently accessible and there are improvements we can make but I can tell colleagues that I talk directly to the people providing these services and they have fought very hard. They have dealt with some very difficult situations in their o…

We have to bear that in mind. If we do a line-by-line comparison with the proposals in the Bill and the recommendations in the report, the Bill before us does not reflect the recommendations in the report. The Committee on Health is the appropriate place to put this. Various members of the committee have raised questions about this. I am surprised at that. It was an Oireachtas committee that came up with the termination of pregnancy report. The health committee has dealt with surrogacy very well. It is dealing with…

I echo the sentiments of my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, in her opening remarks to Deputies, particularly the Deputies who tabled what is a constructive motion and have made positive contributions to this important debate on targeted investment in our health service. As colleagues will be aware, our health service has been through extraordinary challenges. A global pandemic, a cyberattack and a recent winter season like no other, with the flu, Covid and respiratory syncytial virus, RSV, combined…

As the Deputy said, a lot of progress has been made on primary care teams and typically children who have needs, be they mild, moderate or complex, are getting access to the primary care teams earlier. We have allocated funding this year through the waiting list action plan to bring in private providers. My view is that we should use every scintilla of healthcare provision available, whether publicly or privately, to tackle the waiting lists and get children the care they need as quickly as possible. In many of the…

I thank Deputy Shortall for her amendment. We had a very useful discussion on this on Committee Stage, and I committed to looking at whether we would bring forward an amendment to do what the Deputy is looking for after six months. As I said on Committee Stage, I agree that it is a useful amendment. It would be a good forcing mechanism. There have been too many delays over too many years. As has been acknowledged, the amendment I am tabling is essentially a legislatively proofed version of Deputy Shortall's amendme…

Yes, athletic therapists. There is, however, no legal impediment to their being hired, so the HSE can keep an eye on that. As we invest more in prevention, Healthy Ireland and healthy living, the HSE should be very open to that. Similarly, the other group Deputy Shortall mentioned has a very direct impact, potentially, and a very direct benefit in acute care and maybe community-based care as well as diagnostics, which we are expanding a lot. If there is a clinical case for that, it can be made, and the HSE should e…

That is no problem at all. I have the table here. The Deputy may take it away with her after the debate and I will make sure that everyone gets a copy. I want to correct myself. Clinical measurement physiologists are already employed by the HSE. Sorry, that was my mistake. I will ask the HSE for a note on athletic therapists. My understanding is the same as the Deputy's, that it is not a grade that is currently hired. Therefore, if we want to work with the HSE to create that grade, what are the sensible steps? I im…

Yes. I am more than happy to get the Deputy a list. The three being actively looked at and worked on are councillors and psychotherapists, psychologists and social care workers. There are two more designated in the future, so they are further along, and they are orthoptists and clinical biochemists. The list of others is as follows: acupuncturists; athletic therapists; audiologists; chiropractors; clinical measurement physiologists; clinical scientists; creative arts therapists; exercise professionals; healthcare a…

I thank the Deputies. The amendment raises a very important issue. I appreciate that it is being sought by the profession. I am in full agreement that dentists, along with other healthcare professions, should strive to maintain professional competence and that regulators should have appropriate powers in this area. I fully agree. We have a reputable dental profession and we all know that dentists take that their obligations seriously by keeping their skills updated, but that requirement is not on a statutory footin…

I will go through that in a moment. I am in agreement with the intention behind the amendment, and there is work taking place. I just cannot accept the amendment in the context of this Bill, and I will explain why. However, this is a matter on which we need to work. My Department is consulting the Dental Council of Ireland to identify the steps needed to support mandatory continuing professional development. It is something we are going to do and the Department and the Dental Council of Ireland are in discussions. …

I will revert to the Deputy with a timeframe. I do not have one now but I will revert to him with a timeframe in that regard. We are looking at bringing in mandatory continuous professional development but we do need further engagement with the Dental Council of Ireland and with dentists, and further general consultation. That is the reason I cannot support the amendment, although I support the intention behind it. Deputies raised a few other issues in respect of oral health and engagement with dentists. For reason…

I will do so, if I may.

Respectfully, Deputy-----

I am in the Chair's hands.

I have one request of Deputies, which is that they would support my request of the Irish Dental Association and dentists to recognise that the scheme needs to be made fit for purpose. In the meantime, there are men, women and children in this country who cannot afford private care.

We need dentists to re-engage with the dental treatment scheme in the short term while it is being updated.

I take Deputy Connolly's point but the continuous professional development piece is not related to that case and would not have had an impact. In response to Deputy Shortall's point, she can divide the House if she wants. She is a seasoned and experienced Member of Parliament and has been a Minister of State at the Department of Health herself. She is fully aware that there is no chance that any Minister could accept a detailed amendment such as this on Report Stage, coming in from a professional body, without goin…

As the Health Service Executive is responsible for the delivery of public healthcare infrastructure projects, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly in relation to this matter. This welcome review has finally come through and it contains startling findings. However, I understand that the Business Committee has refused space for statements on this. The review will go before the Joint Committee on Health in three or four sessions, allegedly to finish before the summer and with a report to come back. It is re…

Under the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual. In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy dire…