Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

The medical card system has been extended. We have worked to get the out-of-hours doctor system resolved. We have used the National Treatment Purchase Fund to lower acute waiting lists. The waiting lists are lower than they have ever been, as seen in recently published figures. A programme of more than €900 million has been provided to improve services for people with disabilities.

I referred previously to the work done in the one area that continues to create many difficulties in 13 to 15 acute hospitals. Several initiatives are being taken simultaneously to get on top of that problem.

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