Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 6 February 2019

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health

Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion
Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion

Photo of Alan KellyAlan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour)
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Noise in the system will definitely stay with me from now on anyway. We now know that there was no communication at all at any level in the Department with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform about the noise in the system. Is that so? That question is specifically for Mr. Breslin. From April on, there was no communication at all on the noise in the system with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform until August. That is my first question.

My second question is for the Minister, Deputy Harris. In November, he was in the mid-west. We are talking about projects that are affected and I want clarity here because I am very confused. The Chairman and I welcomed the Minister's announcement that the 60 bed modular unit in Limerick would be funded amid great public fanfare. I asked a parliamentary question about this two weeks ago and the Minister gave me an answer with a bottom line that there was no commitment to do so, it was competing with all other projects and no decision had been made until a capital plan was in place. I do not like using this word but either what the Minister said in November is not accurate or else the reply that came back to my parliamentary question last week is false. The Minister announced it in November, the funding was there and all of the Minister's colleagues were out saying it was great.