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

I compliment all involved in the battle against Covid for the significant sacrifices they made, their commitment to their duty and the overall response of the services to the challenges. No words can convey sufficiently the public's response to their efforts.

I also want the witnesses to transfer that energy, co-ordination, effort and exercise to the next challenge, which is to deliver a fast, efficient and effective health service to the community in line with the objectives of Sláintecare in the shortest time possible. I am anxious for us to move away from the area of a percentage improvement on last year's performance and the performance the previous year in areas like waiting lists, acute services and waiting in general. We have to move away from that because people with a health problem are not happy when they are waiting because they do not know how long they have to wait and in some cases, experience has shown them that it is not a good place to be.

Community healthcare organisation, CHO, 7 is the area encompassing south-west Dublin and Kildare, an area that is densely populated, has significant challenges and is low in the support staff required at all levels. For example, the level to which social workers are deployed in that area is non-existent. There is a crisis there that needs to be dealt with as a matter of urgency. I would also cite issues in Donegal and Kerry that have come to public attention in recent years where there were serious flaws in the system regarding the duty of care towards patients or potential patients. What is likely to happen with regard to those issues?