Margaret Murphy O'Mahony (Cork South West, Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the representatives to the meeting and thank them for giving us their time. I mean no disrespect to the Minister of State, Deputy Daly, who is a friend of mine, but I am very disappointed that the senior Minister, Deputy Harris, is unable to attend this morning. Obviously, Brexit and the Cabinet meeting in that regard are very important but I note that the committee's quarterly meeting with him has been postponed once already. It is important that he appear before the year is out.

In his opening statement the Minister of State acknowledged the dedication of the health service workers. I was very disappointed by the very unhelpful comments of the Taoiseach regarding health service workers and the Christmas period.

I wish to stress the importance of winter planning. It amazes me that every year it seems to be a surprise that more people need to go to hospital during the winter. It seems to be an emergency or a surprise every year, but it is quite obvious that it is going to happen. Ms O'Connor outlined the detail in that regard.

The increase in beds proposed in the national development plan seems very aspirational. I hope it happens but I do not see how the HSE thinks it can increase bed capacity by 2,600 when there is a maximum potential increase of 319 beds this year and early next year. The target seems somewhat aspirational.

On the first outpatient appointments, it is great that they will try to put a dent in the backlog but what about those who will be coming on stream seeking first-time appointments?

Are people and GPs still being written to, texted or phoned to ask if they want to attend their first appointment? This puts undue pressure on GPs and patients.

I would also like the Minister of State's view on the Ombudsman's comments this morning regarding his disappointment that the HSE has not fully implemented the recommendations in his 2015 report, Learning to Get Better. At the time, the HSE accepted the 36 of the recommendations in the report but only ten have been fully implemented, 17 have been partially implemented and nine have either not been implemented or are still being considered. After the Ombudsman went to the trouble of compiling the report, I wonder why all of the 36 recommendations have not been implemented.

As this is the Minister of State's quarterly visit to the committee, I have just a few questions for him. The first concerns the mental health services - which come under the remit of the Minister for Health - at Bantry General Hospital, which is in the constituency the Minister of State and I represent. I have submitted numerous parliamentary questions and I cannot get answers. Perhaps the Minister of State can provide answers now or else get back to me. Is there a dietician in situto speak to people who present with eating disorders? What consultation facilities are available to those presenting with mental health issues? What are the staffing levels? As late as yesterday, I received a reply to a simple question on the staffing levels but I did not get an answer. There are either ten or 20 staff or none. I would like an answer please. Lisheens House is a facility in our constituency that does not receive any section 39 funding. Why is that? Why did the facility have to wait until October for a decision that was due in March and which turned out to be a refusal? I asked this of the Taoiseach yesterday, but he said to ask the Minister of State. I am doing so now.

I have a few more questions for the Minister because as I could not expect the Minister of State to know the answers. I will wait for our meeting with the Minister to ask those questions.