Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This is the way the Dáil should work. I welcome that we have had these statements. This open, honest and frank question-and-answer session is the way we should do business a lot more often in the House. It is a very good way to do business and I commend the Minister on facilitating this.

I would say to those who took the opportunity this morning to take cheap political shots at the Minister that at least Deputy Harris had the courage to be a Minister when the people elected him to the House in the same way everybody else in this Chamber was elected. He stood up and was counted when it mattered, which should be borne in mind by those who are very quick to criticise and throw this around like a political football.

On the matter of the written responses we seek, and in light of my contribution during the statements, will the Minister try to deliver change in this area for the purposes of accountability?

An issue raised on numerous occasions by my colleague in Kerry, Councillor Bobby O'Connell, is that of the "do not attends". This is costing the health service millions of euro every year and there is also the issue of keeping other people further down the waiting lists. What initiative is being taken to try to address this?

Is there an optimum amount the Minister could additionally spend in the context of the overall capacity that is available in 2017? How short of that amount is the Minister? Is he making efforts with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to try to bridge the gap?

See this speech in context