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

I will ask a number of brief questions, to which I hope I will receive long, detailed answers. I am seeking a breakdown of the funding in the mental health division that will be used to cover the cost of agency staff and external placements - people who are not being looked after in the service but for whom care costs are being paid.

Key performance indicators have been set for the cancer programme, as have targets for early detection, but already, according to the mid-term review figures, the HSE is falling short. In the light of the fact that the fund is not quite €7 million next year, will it be sufficient to hit the key performance indicators and catch up next year on those missed this year? In my estimation, it will not and I sincerely hope I will not hear that the targets have been revised downwards. We will only want to hear how the HSE has been able to meet its targets.

We have discussed at length the GP contract. I have some knowledge of negotiating in a multi-union environment and understand how challenging it can be. I can see wry smiles on the faces of the representatives from the HSE who will be more than familiar with this issue. Can they give us an idea of how many hours have been spent in the meetings that have taken place to date and do they have a work plan? I fully appreciate that negotiations can be extended, but it seems that the Minister and the Government have hung a great deal on the conclusion of the talks on the GP contract which might, if one were cynical, lead someone to think they have just established who to blame if the targets set for next year are not met. I sincerely hope, however, that is not the case. I would also like to know the grades of the staff involved in the negotiations. I have had experience of turning up at negotiations with people who did not necessarily have the authority to negotiate, which was not very helpful.

In the light of the committee's report, the compassionate access programme to medicinal cannabis will be considered next week. When will the programme be available and will legislation be required to give it effect? If so, is preparation of the legislation near completion?

The average cost of home care is €23.20 per hour, the figure provided by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. Clearly, a home help and a home care worker are not paid anything near that rate, in either the private or the public sector. Will the officials explain the reason for having an hourly rate of €23.20 because, as I remember from a few years ago, the rate ranged from €13.95 and €16.35 per hour. The figure provided is a considerable percentage above that rate. My feeling is that this rate of pay is in the for-profit sector and that the headroom is, in fact, their profit because we know that they have big cars and offices and all the rest. There is an emphasis on home care and treating people at home, but it strikes me that we will not be able to afford to fund many hours of home care if we keep increasing the average spend.