Mr. Robert Watt:

I thank Deputy Durkan for that. Now that we are through the latest wave of Covid, our focus is on the absolute public health needs, and particularly waiting lists. We have an enormous challenge now because of the backlog of treatments. We need to do everything we can.

I will mention two points. There is a need to galvanise the system in dealing with challenges we now face, the more systemic challenge in the system. We must galvanise the system in the way we managed to galvanise the system in responding to Covid. That is very important. People are suffering because they are waiting too long for treatment in many cases. We need to have that same can-do spirit and the flair the Deputy mentioned is needed in that context.

My second point, to which the Chief Medical Officer has alluded, is that while the CMO is the public face of our response to the pandemic, along with Dr. Glynn at times, it is a team of people, including people in our Department, the HSE, the Department of the Taoiseach and many other Departments. By the nature of it, someone has to lead that team and, in the case of a pandemic, someone had to be the public face. It is very important to re-emphasise what the CMO said about many people being involved who, in my view, did a great service over the past years. I thank Deputy Durkan for his comments in that regard.

The key thing now is for us to focus on what we must do for the health system to address the challenges. That is what the Minister is very committed to doing and the Department and I are focused on helping him to achieve his objectives.