Jerry Buttimer (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Thank you. I also thank the Minister's officials for their courtesy to our committee. We have received apologies from Deputies Mary Mitchell O'Connor, Regina Doherty, Ciara Conway and Peter Fitzpatrick. I invite the Ministers of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch and Deputy Alex White, to feel free to intervene and make a contribution should they wish.

On the scheduling issue, I apologise to the Minister and to the Opposition spokespeople. It is unfortunate there is a scheduling clash between our committee meetings and the Department of Health's Bills in the Dáil on a Thursday. I propose that we write to the Chief Whip again to inform him that on a Thursday morning this committee deals with health and children issues at 9.30 a.m. and that any scheduling of Bills dealing with health and children should be for a Tuesday and a Wednesday. Is that agreed? Agreed.

I call Dr. Tony O'Brien, director general designate of the HSE. I thank his staff and officials for their courtesy to all Members of the Houses of the Oireachtas and I thank the staff who work on the front line for their tremendous work in challenging times. It is important to put that in context when one hears unfair criticism of people who work in the health sector. The people who work in our hospitals, in the front-line services and, indeed, people who work in back offices and are not seen, are working in challenging times. I thank them for that. I also thank those who engaged in the labour relations process last week. I thank Mr. Barry O'Brien and the unions for engaging and for putting our health system at the core of what we are doing. I call Dr. Tony O'Brien.