Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)

We have, in the past few years, employed an additional 12,000 nurses in the public health system. Deputies will be aware from the OECD report which examined regulation and public sector services in Ireland that we have the highest ratio in the entire OECD. In fact ours is double the ratio in France and is substantially higher than the ratio in Northern Ireland and the UK.

My colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Moloney, is rolling out A Vision for Change in respect of which I accept there have been some delays. A number of additional mental health teams, in particular in respect of children and adolescents, will be put in place this year. There is a robust debate about who should comprise membership of the primary care team. Pharmacists have made a case for their involvement. Deputies will be aware pharmacies are a commercial enterprise. There are many issues arising in regard to the precise make up of the team. It is important that, within the new primary care centres, the services being provided in a region are provided in one location and that staff treating the same clients or patients do so as part of a team.

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