Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)

I said in my reply that there is good engagement on this issue, through the Croke Park agreement, between the staff representatives and the HSE. There has been some rationalisation and reconfiguration in this area since the Teamwork report was published. Work practices have changed and more laboratories have been accredited. That is the good news. We need to achieve efficiencies in this area. The more efficiencies we achieve, the more money we have for patient services. It is intended to roll out the changed work practices in a number of key hospitals, including St. James's Hospital and Beaumont Hospital, quite soon. That will inform that decisions that will be made. It is clear that a cost-benefit analysis will be carried out. The Teamwork report gave us a great deal of food for thought on how we can offer a safer and higher quality service that is more cost-effective. That is what we have to do.

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