Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

------operating. The key to reform of the health service is the development of an effective primary care system. Already this year we have allocated a significant amount of money for the start of the development of the primary care centres. Work is proceeding with the development of those centres, the objective of which is to ensure that people get care quickly at the first opportunity. Alongside that a programme of reform is taking place in our hospital system which will result in a more efficient and effective use of our hospital resources, and reduce waiting lists to ensure people get access to the treatment and procedures they need without having to wait for long periods of time or experiencing cancellations. I am not familiar with the particular case the Deputy raised, but if he lets me have its details, I would be happy to ask the Minister for Health to respond directly to him on it.

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