Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I have a couple of questions.

First of all, I welcome the plan. It is a huge amount of money. For the plan to work, there are a lot of moving parts. Clearly, the beds issue is one that has to be addressed. I welcome the HSE statement this morning about moving ahead with the 1,500 suggestion. For example, and I accept these are always local issues, etc., I was looking back in relation to the 72-bed unit in Tallaght hospital. It was announced six years ago by the previous CEO. I asked a question last year about this capital building project of 72 beds and it was not even on the system. I merely give that as an example of the slowness, some of the road blocks and the blockages that were in the system. When we discussed this previously, we were talking in terms of planning. We asked whether that would interfere with hospitals, etc. My understanding with this particular build is it does not, and I am merely giving that as an example. We agreed on the previous occasion the HSE attended that there are other examples that we can move ahead in other hospital groups and other hospitals around the State. I wish the HSE well in progressing that.

The pathway initiative is really promising. That is the way forward. The HSE stated previously that it would bring in CEOs of hospitals, etc., and maybe at some stage in the future, it would give us a report on it outlining what works in one area and what does not work in another. Another example, from Tallaght hospital, was that day surgery stayed open during the worst of the challenges in accident and emergency.

We also talked about accident and emergency and the challenges there. Mr. Gloster stated the viral surges were a big challenge there. There was one virus, in particular, that was impacting on babies and children, that is, strep 1. There was another one as well.