Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Like others, I congratulate our health services and our witnesses today for the work they are doing and have struggled to do in the face of very severe challenges over the past six months or so. I have a number of questions and I will go through them quickly. Those that can be answered can be answered and the others that might have to be held over can be answered by way of written reply.

First, of the 2,000 staff currently out on sick leave due to Covid or Covid-related issues, what is the breakdown of those between medical staff, nursing staff and administrative staff? What is the number of GP appointments outstanding throughout the country? How many GP vacancies where there at the beginning of the year and how many are now filled or being filled? I know there are some in Kildare so I would appreciate a response on that.

The next question is an important one, namely, how do we handle or prevent the next surge? That is the critical question we all want to know the answer to. It is as simple as this. If another surge comes, the economic impact is going to be much more severe than anything experienced heretofore. It is repeating the same issue. The question I am trying to get at is this. Can we prepare now for that possible eventuality and prevent it by way of taking particular measures or putting a particular emphasis on certain of the restrictions without having to go into a lockdown when we come to the end of the current level 5 restrictions?

Our local hospital in Naas has ceased non-essential elective services as of today arising from staff shortages and staff being out on Covid-related leave. The question is how many staff have been affected by Covid and how many are affected currently, and how many are medical staff, nursing staff or administrative staff.

My next question is a continuation of an issue we often discuss at these committee meetings. Regarding the home care packages that are being prepared and that we are going to be relying upon very much throughout the winter, to what degree is it intended to regulate standards for those providing them in the private sector and the public sector? To have an equal standard across the board is important, and that applies without prejudice to anybody or anything.

My last question relates to the capital programme for Naas General Hospital. How is the proposed extension coming along? Is it being moved forward and can we rely on it arriving within a reasonable time to ensure we make progress? It is good for the morale of the staff that they know where we are going, it is good for patient accommodation, and it is good for the general service.