Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

No, we have not because that will be a matter for the HSE service plan, which is the subject of ongoing discussions within the HSE. It is due to be presented to me and published by the HSE in the coming weeks, and one would hope this will be the case. That will provide the more granular detail of how many and in what year. It is the very clear aim of the programme and the national maternity strategy to ensure that all women have access to routine anomaly scans by 2019. That is where we want to get to. We want to make progress in 2018.

The Deputy's point is well made in respect of the recruitment process. There is no point in the HSE saying it is going to do something in 2018 and starting in the middle of that year. I will give the Deputy my assurance that once the service plan is finalised, I will ask the HSE to prioritise the recruitment process. It should start immediately once the service plan is signed off on so that we can have actual ultrasonographers in place in our hospitals in 2018. I expect that will happen.

See this speech in context