Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is and the facts need to be established very clearly as it is not satisfactory.

The director general made an interesting point on the issue of HSE reform. The political system, in all of its party political guises, needs to make a few very key decisions quickly on the structures. We should use what has been an horrific situation for some good, for which I have heard people such as Vicky Phelan call. That is why the HSE board legislation to be brought forward next week is important. To be very clear, Government policy on the structures within the health service is in line with the Sláintecare report, that is, that we keep a leaner central HSE but devolve more to regional integrated structures. That is the policy. By the way, while I believe the concept behind the HSE - having a national body to do all it has done; it has made some progress in a number of important areas - is a good one, the way in which it was set up has meant it has become overly complex and bureaucratic. That is not an insult to people working in it. I think people working in it very readily identify with my comments. We need to make a number of political decisions quickly in the Oireachtas on how we can devolve more to new regional integrated care structures. The geo-alignment consultation process that is under way, details of which are on my Department's website, will guide proposals that I will bring to the Government later this year in that regard.