John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)

I thank the Minister for her reply. Does she agree that the document is excellent and acknowledges that we can deal with up to 90% of illnesses through primary care? This is an astonishing figure. However, is it not the case that the significant investment, about which the Minister has spoken, has not been forthcoming? Will she explain why the last meeting of the steering group considering primary care was cancelled? Was it cancelled because many people felt she had not stepped up to the plate — to use a phrase I heard from one of the members of the steering group — or made a commitment regarding the investment? The group wants the investment programme to be set out so it will know that circumstances will be much improved in three or four years.

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