Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour) | Oireachtas source

My first couple of questions are for Mr. Varley. Dr. O'Connor spoke to the backlogs of up to six months for public patients. What are the views of the IHCA on the reconfiguration of any new deal with a specific focus on clearing the backlog of public patients?

Has Mr. Varley formed a view on that? How can he help, and how would that influence any new deal?

Second, Mr. Varley mentioned in his opening statement that the original rationale for the hospital deal no longer pertains. None of us are prognosticators in terms of what will happen in the future but given what has happened in the past and the data we have on the winter flu, we all agree that the winter flu and any re-emergence of Covid-19 will not be able to exist side by side in our health service. Does Mr. Varley believe that whatever deal comes next will have to take cognisance of the fact that capacity will be needed this winter across both spheres?