Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We are not there yet. I am sure the Deputy will agree that I could not make announcements in that regard in such a public forum. These are conversations to be had with representative bodies at an appropriate time. This is about where people work. Many of the people working in the HSE today may work in a devolved regional entity into the future. The HSE has employees throughout the country. An analysis will be conducted on the needs of the health service, such that we will not know for two years or more how many staff are needed. The HSE is involved in the implementation of Sláintecare. Sláintecare is the policy direction for the HSE and it is embracing it. We will get this right. When we did big programmes of reform in the past, for example, the abolition of the health boards and the creation of the HSE, this is an area where we did not get it right. That is an objective comment. We have to get it right this time.

We have to look at these issues sensitively and carefully. We must not do so in a knee-jerk fashion. We are talking about something that will happen over a number of years. To answer the Deputy's question, it will probably take around two years.