Martin Conway (Fine Gael)

I welcome everybody here. First, on a positive note, I thank Mr. Gloster for his engagement with Vision Ireland and the ECLO service. I know there is a very important meeting he has organised for this afternoon and I hope that will bring clarity on a multi-annual basis to this critical service. I thank him for that.

To follow on from my colleague Senator Byrne, I was at that high-level briefing on Monday morning in Limerick and there was some extremely positive feedback from the management team there under Sandra Broderick. I very much welcome the good news that trolley numbers are down by 50%, but that is only half the challenge. I know how committed Mr. Gloster is to driving that down further. On that, we are aware of the HIQA report and the Minister's extremely important decision, which has to be made this side of Christmas. Has the Minister been on to Mr. Gloster and his officials since the HIQA report to discuss the options? Have they given any briefings on the options from their perspective, and do Mr. Gloster and his team have a preferred position on which they may be advising the Minister?