Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The education section of the programme for Government committed to the establishment of "a multi-campus technical university in the south-east". I presume this should say "technological university". This relates to commitments given before the last election regarding a new university in Waterford. The programme for Government states "We will explore the establishment of a multi-campus technical university in the south east". Will the Taoiseach give an update on the progress of this commitment? When can we expect the promised legislation?

On the issue of universal primary care, the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Alex White, said the legislation currently in the House relating to free GP care for children under six years of age had been pushed back until autumn. This is yet another delay. The Taoiseach must examine the entire page of commitments made on primary care in the programme for Government because it bears no relationship to reality any more. When will the universal primary care Bill be passed? It says in the programme for Government that universal primary care will be introduced in phases so that additional doctors, nurses and other primary care professionals can be recruited. It says that during the term of the Government, GP training places will be increased and GPs will be encouraged to defer retirement and will be recruited from abroad. The plan was to increase the number of practice nurses so that care could be delegated to nurses where appropriate. Access to primary care without fees was to be extended in the first year to claimants of free drugs under the long-term illness scheme at a cost of €17 million. Access to primary care without fees was to be extended in the second year to claimants of free drugs under the high-tech drugs scheme at a cost of €15 million. Access to subsidised care was to be extended to all in the following phase. The programme goes on and on. A new GP contract was to provide incentives to GPs to care more intensively for patients with chronic illnesses. Registration of primary care teams was to be compulsory. This all now reads as though it came from fantasy land. Will any of this be implemented?

When can we expect the universal primary care Bill, which is to govern all of this? What of the ring-fenced funding that was promised for additional psychologists and counsellors?

It seems that what is required are concrete proposals to address these issues with which we have been living now for the past three and a half years.

Given the Taoiseach's commitment to a Cabinet reshuffle, when does he expect to bring before the House a resolution for the appointment of Ministers to new portfolios? What is the timeline in terms of that proposition being brought before the House?

See this speech in context