Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank our guests for attending today. As always, I acknowledge the work they do continually on behalf of our health system. Mr. Reid has just alluded to Covid. It certainly has not gone away. That nearly 500 people are Covid-positive in hospital all the time is very serious. The public sometimes loses sight of that fact. It is important that we continue to remind them that this pandemic is still very much among us.

On the regional structures, I agree the policy is correct. I am glad we now have a clear timeline for their establishment and implementation but Joe Public would assume all this is happening anyway. I am just looking for an example. I welcome the fact that, as Mr. Reid has said, the process has already started and that we are not necessarily waiting until 2024. On the discharge policy for discharging somebody from an acute hospital into a community structure, nursing home or whatever, how will today’s protocols and policies differ from those under the regional structure when established? What will be different?