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

I am sure the Deputy does.

I see the figures which show that new primary care centres are being opened.

I will use an example from my constituency, which I have raised with the Minister many times. There is a primary care centre in Balbriggan and while I keep asking the Minister if it will get additional staff, he keeps telling me it will not and nor is there a plan to put in additional equipment. If built, these primary care centres are not being adequately staffed. Similar to other points that have been made here, I can point the Minister to people in my constituency who have been waiting 36 months for therapeutic interventions for their kids. They have been told they must wait a year before their kids can get onto lists and so on. We are aware that the lists are lengthening.

If one considers a primary care centre that may just have a general practice doctor in it but no additional facilities - especially in an area such as Balbriggan where the population is growing - apart from the buildings, does the HSE have a workforce plan? Mr. Reid will be more than familiar with this issue. Can the Minister share such a plan with us and point us in the direction of X number of staff? They are not coming to Balbriggan because while I do not know how many times I have asked this through parliamentary questions, the answer always is that services will be provided from within existing resources. This means there will be no additional staff, despite the growing population. Is there a workforce plan for all of these new primary care centres that are being built or are under construction? Does that plan mirror Sláintecare and will it provide therapies within the community? Thus far, it has not. The Minister will be aware that since the primary care centre in Balbriggan opened some two and a half years ago, Sinn Féin has been campaigning for diagnostic facilities for the centre but people still must travel all the way into a hospital in town for a simple X-ray.