Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

On our agenda for May we have the HSE, UL and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. We will deal with the issue relating to ventilators at the meeting with the HSE and the Department.

The committee requested certain information arising from meetings this year. Following the meeting on 19 January, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage was to come back to us with a substantial amount of information but that has not been received. The HSE gave us a commitment regarding nursing homes and additional charges for items that were available under the medical card schemes. The HSE and the Department were to come back to us regarding that being written into the contract. That query is outstanding since 31 January. The Department of Health was asked to reply to a number of questions. Those are outstanding since 2 February. As far as I know, we have not received a reply to any of those requests. I ask the secretariat to follow up on those requests, including to the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the Housing Agency, as well as to the HSE and the Department of Health regarding nursing homes and the charges for items available under the medical card scheme.

Mr. Kevin McCarthy of the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth appeared before the committee on 16 February. He was to come back to us with a table detailing the number of refugees being afforded international protection in each of the EU states in the context of the Ukraine situation. That information would allow us to make a comparison with the figures for Ireland. Mr. McCarthy told the committee that Ireland was on a red list in Europe. He clarified that there is a colour-coding system and Ireland is on the highest alert, in that it has taken in a substantial number of refugees. I have no problem with that. Ireland has taken in more refugees than many other countries that may have a bigger population and greater capacity have accommodated. Mr. McCarthy was to come back to us with that information. There are four requests that have not come back within the timeframe set out. A follow-up note should be sent on those queries.

If there are items of interest, I ask members to flag them with the secretariat. That concludes our consideration of the work programme. The last item on our agenda is any other business. Do members wish to raise any other matters? No. We will move briefly into private session before adjourning until 9.30 a.m. on Thursday, 23 March 2023.