David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

We have heard already that there was some pushback on the timeframe to deliver because of the Covid-19 pandemic. My understanding of what the Sláintecare Implementation Advisory Council, SIAC, was proposing was into the future as opposed to what was happening during the Covid-19 pandemic. We will talk to the SIAC members whenever they appear before us.

I want to turn to the Minister because this has been very difficult and it has damaged Sláintecare and, more importantly, people’s perception that we will see changes in healthcare after having seen these resignations. We now have this new structure that is being put in place, the programme board. The patient advocates have been removed from it, as far as I can see. I see that Róisín Molloy is no longer going to be on that new structure nor will Brendan Courtney. There is a perception again that these people would not necessarily have had a critical eye but certainly would have had a constructive view of this, and perhaps sometimes an alternative view to Mr. Watt or Mr. Paul Reid, and that these people are no longer on that board. This structure will actually be headed up by Mr. Reid and by Mr. Watt. Is that actually the best way to proceed with the delivery of Sláintecare?