Mr. Tony O'Brien:

The primary care posts are spelled out in appendix 2 on page 22 of the service plan, with details of regional distribution, funding and so on. We intend to progress those on the same basis I referred to with regard to mental health. Last year, there would have been challenging interplay between the decreases and increases, and we are setting that to one side this year in order to have them progress.

I will ask my colleagues to come back to the issue of medical cards. I am sure Mr. Burke is grateful for the kind remarks about the response. I will ask Dr. Carroll to respond on the issue of rehabilitation services, as mentioned by Senator Crown. Dr. Carroll is a specialist in rehabilitation medicine. I will ask Ms McGuinness to respond on the issue of the legislation for information sharing, which is part of the medical process.

With regard to the child and family support agency, the position remains that child and family services are currently fully integral to the HSE. Mr. Brian Kirwan is the acting national director for child and family services within the HSE. We took a decision, in consultation with the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, that it would be advantageous to the process of establishing the child and family support agency to allow Mr. Gordon Jeyes to focus on his role as the chief executive designate of that agency while working with and being integral to the HSE services.