James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)

I thank Deputy Healy. The review will be carried out by officials in my Department. I certainly want to be made aware of any withdrawal of service because I want the impact of any such withdrawal to be assessed fully. I do not want a recurrence of circumstances in which services are withdrawn on the promise that they will be replaced by new ones at a regional centre, only to have that promise not met. I have requested that there be no further withdrawal.

To say reconfiguration has ceased is untrue because it has not. Some parts of the reconfiguration process do not entail the withdrawal of services. I have no issue with these proceeding although we are reviewing the very nature of what we are trying to achieve. The health service is taking a new direction and we have made that very clear. I am very pleased with the appetite for change, both in the Department of Health and the Health Services Executive.

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