Ms Laura Magahy:

We can certainly get the committee as much information as we have on the Covid certificate. I will ask Mr. Sinnott to forward that on, if that is okay.

On the 10% of the overall funding, what we would need to do is double-check that we are comparing the right percentages. At the back of the Sláintecare report, it shows what the additional funding for Sláintecare was but we did not include what is in the base for mental health. To make sure that we are comparing like with like, I would like to run the figures and come back to the committee on that to see what mental health spending is as an overall percentage of the total budget for health, as opposed to only the additional piece that was invested in. It is fair to say that there was a focus on community staffing in this year's budget because it had been so chronically underfunded. That is not to say that mental health should not get additional funding as well. Let me come back to the committee on the percentage issue, if that is okay.

On the waiting list numbers, there are approximately 600,000 waiting for an outpatient appointment and 90,000 people waiting for inpatient or day-case procedures, and scopes make up the balance.

There has been a deterioration in the waiting list numbers as a result of Covid-19 and the fact many of the operations were cancelled. Before Covid-19 hit, substantial inroads had been made in reducing the inpatient waiting list - significant progress had been made - by the tens of thousands. Obviously, that was paused due to Covid-19. The Chair is right in that many of the staff were diverted, especially from regular community interventions, so those have been exacerbated as well.

Going back to the beginning of the meeting, that is why we have put such an emphasis on the access and multi-annual waiting list programme, which is about increasing supply of staff and facilities and reducing demand by putting a focus on prevention and trying to get people the care at an earlier time, rather than it hitting the crisis point. It is an ambitious plan which is just reaching finalisation.

The final point is the waiting lists, bad and all as they were as a result of Covid-19, have again been exacerbated by the cyberattack, because many of the outpatient appointments were cancelled. It has compounded the issue and is even more reason to put a focus on it, which we have done and are doing. When we come to Government looking for multi-annual support, we would greatly appreciate the committee's support on that.