Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Minister's predecessor, now the Taoiseach, stated when he was Minister for Health that he hoped the negotiations would be concluded by April 2016. It is now June 2017. There has been a substantial amount of drift in terms of the negotiations. When does the Minister envisage these negotiations concluding? If we are to convince the public that the Sláintecare report, which is in line with broad Government policy in terms of the provision of primary care, expanding and enhancing those services, increasing capacity and trying to bring about universal access in primary and community care, these issues are critically important. They will require legislative changes. However, we need to see an end date in place. Could the Minister give us a rough estimate, at least more accurate than his predecessor's, of when those negotiations will conclude?

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