Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I have one minute remaining for three questions. In regard to the waiting lists and the national treatment purchase fund, NTPF, in April a total of 7,221 patients were on some form of public waiting list to be treated or assessed by a consultant. How is the NTPF assisting in those figures or is it not assisting with those numbers? Also, the last time the HSE was in, we spoke about the cyberattack. It is obviously of huge interest to everybody that we would be well prepared and resourced to head off any other such incident. However, the recruitment of the head of the national cybersecurity centre, NCSC, was outstanding at the time. I understand that the salary had to be changed and another offer made. Where does that stand now?

Finally I notice in Vote 38(F)(1) on page 9 of the appropriation accounts for 2020 there was a reduction in expenditure in regard to the payments for those affected by thalidomide. Why was there a reduction in that? Hopefully that issue and the cause for those thalidomide sufferers is coming to a resolution after, not years, but many decades.