Michael Harty (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The report of the Committee on the Future of Healthcare, which was launched yesterday, proposes a ten-year vision for a new health service. We are all optimistic about it. It calls for a guaranteed waiting time for procedures, outpatient appointments and diagnostic tests. How realistic would it be to introduce legislation to guarantee women this right? They would not just be eligible, rather, they would be entitled to a scan by legislation. Is this a realistic proposition, particularly in terms of the maternity strategy, which is another matter on which the Committee on the Future of Healthcare is producing a report? I presume that the maternity strategy refers to the provision of anomaly scanning.

Is it lack of political will that prevents these targets being met?