Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank Mr. Corbridge for the presentation and while I apologise for missing some of it, I got a chance to read it beforehand. In respect of the 47,000 people who currently do not have access to a computer as part of their work within the health service, I assume that number does not also take into account agency staff who are not directly employed or does it? Second, this is more of an observation than a question, as someone who has represented workers in the health service, but there is great emphasis on making sure those who are senior management in the health service have access to a wide range of equipment. They have iPads, iPhones, BlackBerry devices and everything else but those who are on the front line and who might benefit most from it do not. For example, when the health service introduced electronic payslips, none of the catering staff in hospitals were able to access them and likewise for directly employed cleaning staff, health care assistants and people like that. However, senior managers who would not necessarily have a need for all the information and communications technology, ICT, equipment because they have desk computers, also had all the mobile information technology, IT, equipment to go with it. There must be something of a refocusing on who actually needs the technology.

The 2017 figure for capital investment in ICT is €55 million. In Mr. Corbridge's estimation, will that come close or will it even knock the corners off it? Deputy Naughton alluded to a percentage of overall expenditure on health but rather than a percentage, what actual capital figure does Mr. Corbridge perceive to be necessary to ensure some of the fairly ambitious targets he has outlined can be hit? Finally, a system of integrated waiting lists is in operation in Portugal at present that all the figures suggest has had a significant impact on reducing waiting times. The system has integrated all of the waiting lists rather than having separate waiting lists. In Mr. Corbridge's opinion, were this to be done would there be a saving to the Exchequer? How far is the HSE from being able to introduce a measure that is fairly desirable and that makes a lot of sense? How far is the HSE from having such an integrated waiting list system or is it dependent on the unique patient identifier, which unfortunately and regrettably is taking a long time to implement?