Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Wednesday, 2 February 2022
Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach
Estimates for Public Services
Vote 11 - Public Expenditure and Reform (Revised)
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances (Revised)
Vote 14 - State Laboratory (Revised)
Vote 15 - Secret Service (Revised)
Vote 17 - Public Appointments Service (Revised)
Vote 18 - National Shared Services Office (Revised)
Vote 19 - Office of the Ombudsman (Revised)
Vote 39 - Office of Government Procurement (Revised)
Vote 43 - Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (Revised)
Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source
I agree about the centrality of the role of the Department of Health, not just during a global pandemic. Of course, there will be an aftermath, a legacy and consequences of the pandemic. Unfortunately, the immediate consequence is increased waiting lists. The person sitting at the top of the Department of Health, working with the HSE, will be instrumental in meeting the Government policy objectives, one of which is to have a fit-for-purpose, single-tier health service and to implement Sláintecare. We have provided a record budget, as the Deputy will know, of over €22 billion to make progress in that regard. There is an enormous body of complex, challenging, difficult work that needs to be done in the Department of Health to improve the Irish health service, and I and my colleagues across the Government regard that as a key priority in the coming years.
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