Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy referred to the areas in which change is necessary and asked what is happening in the Department of Health and in health reform generally. I referred to the legislation providing free GP care to all children aged five years and under and those aged over 70 years. That has been enacted, an agreement has been reached and doctors are signing up. From this summer, up to 300,000 children and senior citizens who currently have to pay to see their GPs will no longer have to do so. This represents the first step in the phased introduction of universal GP care without fees and it is a major milestone on the road to universal health care.

In addition to specific projects to upgrade existing facilities, substantial work is progressing on a number of key infrastructure projects. That includes work on the planning application for the national children's hospital, which will be a truly iconic building catering for the children of the entire island. That application is well advanced and is expected to be submitted before the summer. In parallel, the children's hospital group board is overseeing the integration of the three children's hospitals in advance of the move to the new hospital.

Construction on the relocated national maternity hospital from Holles Street is expected to commence in early 2016. These are all major pieces of health infrastructure which will stand all our people in good stead for many years to come.

The Deputy is aware that seven hospital groups have been established as the first step towards independent hospital trusts. Each committee will develop a strategic plan by early 2016 setting out how they would consider reorganising hospital services and integrate with all other health services to provide best care for the populations they serve. Significant work is also underway in delivering community health care organisations and the implementation of activity-based funding across the public hospital system.

The work of the Cabinet sub-committee on health will continue to monitor and assess progress on key reforms to be delivered as part of the future care programme and, where necessary, will revert to the Government for decisions.

I was talking to somebody yesterday whose elderly parent was given a home care package just the other day, which came from the extra allocation made. They were so happy with the extent of the service being provided under that home care package. I know it is only one case, but it means so much in terms of assistance, support and comfort both to the family and the individual involved. These are all part of what we would like to be able to do on an overall basis, but it is not possible to deal with that in every situation.

The work of Ministers in directing where the health system wants to be in the time ahead is making substantial progress. What I have referred to is all part of the pathway to having a single-tier system that is appropriate for our needs in Ireland.

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