Colm Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

My apologies for not being here this morning. Unfortunately, I had a matter to raise on the Order of Business in the Seanad. I congratulate the witnesses for the work they are doing. I have heard much about the project which I must visit because it is the only way to see the work on the ground. I am in a constituency where the problem is not on the same scale as Ballymun. There has been very little progress in the past 20 years because I am not sure about the structures that are there. This is why I have a reason to look at the project and see how it is working.

There has been a lack of joined-up thinking between the local authority, the health service and all other agencies. How did the witnesses approach that? They already may have given an explanation of that. I find a lack of joined-up thinking in my area. Everyone had their own agenda and targets but they are not co-ordinated and as a result, there is a significant lack of progress in real terms. Some medical consultants at UCC provided paediatric consultations on their own initiative within the community. This avoided people having to travel to the hospital and has brought about significant benefits locally. The aim now is to put it on a proper footing. It shows how a small initiative like that can have a significant influence. That is where joined-up thinking between all the institutions is lacking. How did the witnesses deal with that issue because we have made progress by getting people to work together.