Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I accept that we can make progress on waiting lists in advance of Sláintecare, and aside from it. I believe - I am not being pedantic - the policy shift that Sláintecare represents will help improve waiting lists. If we did not have Sláintecare, it would lessen the pace of progress. I think that is a fair comment. For the benefit of those watching the proceedings, I want to be clear that we are not waiting for the delivery of Sláintecare to work every day to try to improve the waiting lists. I do not want to be pedantic because the waiting lists are too long, but many of these waiting lists were never before published. That is a point worth making. For example, in light of the RTE "Prime Time Investigates" programme, we now publish pre-planned and what are known as TCI waiting lists. As far as I am aware, prior to me becoming Minister, these were never before published. Prior to 2014, outpatient lists were never published. There are still too many people on waiting lists but this needs to be factored in.

As I said at the launch of the implementation plan in Government Buildings, largely speaking, the costs outlined by the TCD team and the committee are correct. However, as I said earlier during my engagement with the Chairman, a significant proportion of the costs is dependent on contractual negotiations, and not only with GPs. We will also need a new consultant contract at some point, and there will be negotiations on the decisions taken by the Government and the Oireachtas on public and private services. As the Deputy will be aware, private health insurance contributes significantly to our public hospitals and this is factored into the figures provided. Some of the costs are capital and others are current. Largely speaking, I am not engaged in a row with the TCD team or with the Sláintecare committee about the figures, but I am making the point that some of the policy decisions that we have yet to make as an Oireachtas will have a bearing on the costs. For example, Sláintecare recommends the removal of private practice from public hospitals but it also recommends that before doing so, we should do a particular piece of work on it and revert to the committee with a roadmap. This represents a big chunk of money in terms of the overall impact on a yearly basis in regard to the health service.