Colette Kelleher (Independent)
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That is why we will be returning to this topic on 5 November. We will have the HSE in and will be asking some hard questions of it. I will ask the committee members if we can invite a Traveller health co-ordinator, Ms Deirdre O'Reilly, whose submission arrived late, to participate. I presume that is okay.

It is impossible to sum up this issue. It is about people's lives, including those of our witnesses' families and loved ones. There is a sense that the crisis in health, including mental health, has been captured but largely ignored. Mr. Thomas McCann mentioned a sense of difference. An inadequate response was mentioned, as were inertia, inaction and a need for implementation to be evidenced. I was shocked to hear that there are underspends in the area of Traveller health in addition to the underspends in Traveller accommodation. I was not aware of that, but it seems to reflect a wider lack of urgency. Where we need an extraordinary response, as Senator Coffey said, we are getting an inert response. The word "shame" was used. I certainly share that sentiment. We will return to this topic again. Ms Collins said that the Minister for Health made her some promises in respect of the re-establishment of structures. We will look at that in our report. There needs to be real and meaningful structures in the Department of Health, but also in the HSE because that is where the money is. Questions need to be answered about the adequacy of the budget and about where the budget goes. Perhaps additional resources are needed for targeted initiatives. Tackling social determinants will solve health issues in the long run but we have a crisis here and now and it needs to be addressed.

I will bring today's meeting to a close. I thank committee members, the people who are watching from outside, those in the Gallery, and, above all, those who yet again shared painful stories and the officials for being here throughout the proceedings. On behalf of the committee, I thank them all very much.