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

I welcome Mr. Gloster and wish him well for the future. Without doubt, he has a mammoth task ahead. However, there will also be opportunities. Mr. Gloster indicated that he is prepared to meet the challenges and overcome the obstacles that exist in so far as that can be done.

I want to know, if possible, the degree to which Mr. Gloster has identified the main issues that afflict the health service. In other words, the first meeting that the patient or the individual has with health services usually determines their reaction and degree of satisfaction afterwards. Has he identified the areas that need to be dealt with? If so, how can quickly can they be dealt with? I am thinking about issues like access to accident and emergency units. I am mindful that we do not have a sufficient number of GPs at the moment. Changes are taking place. There is a greater reliance on accident and emergency units than there was in the past, but maybe we have to embrace that situation. Also, instead of trying to do all things at the same time, a decision must be made to do something but to do it really well.