Noel Grealish (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Now that the Government has apparently survived its own health scare, perhaps it can turn its attention to the far more pressing matter of the health of the nation as a whole. There appears to be a lack of urgency in the Government's response to the Sláintecare report, produced by the cross-party Committee on the Future of Healthcare. The report, with its far-reaching recommendations for radical changes in this country's approach to health care, was published back in May, but we are still waiting for the establishment of an implementation office that will see its recommendations brought into action.

If proof was needed of how much a major revamp of our delivery of health care is required, then one only needs to look at recent developments. At a time when waiting lists for treatment in Irish hospitals are spiralling out of control, the recent RTÉ "Prime Time" investigation revealed how a number of consultants were in breach of their contracts to provide a certain number of hours in the care of public patients, opting to boost their salaries with work in private hospitals. One who was observed for eight weeks was found to be working fewer than 13 hours on average in the public system even though he was contracted to work 37 hours a week.

Such scandalous behaviour, for which HSE and hospital management must also take their share of responsibility, no doubt at least partly contributed to the latest waiting list figures in our hospitals. There were almost a half a million people, more than 494,000, waiting for outpatient treatment at the end of October. That is an increase of 56,000 people on the same time last year. Despite several undertakings to improve the situation, there has also been an increase in the number of people waiting for inpatient and day case operations and procedures compared with this time last year. More than 80,000 people are on waiting lists as inpatients, also up on last year. The number waiting for 15 months or more as outpatients has almost doubled, up by 88% to almost 92,000. Add in those waiting this unacceptable length of time for inpatient or day case procedures, and there are little short of 500,000 people the length and breadth of Ireland facing absolutely unacceptable waits for a call from their local hospital. They have been forced for more than 15 months, and much, much longer in some cases, to live in pain, to live in fear and to live constantly waiting for the postman to deliver a letter that will finally signal relief. Meanwhile, the workload of nurses and other staff has increased to a point of great stress to them and to a point where questions should be asked about the level of care to some vulnerable patients. They are simply being spread too thinly on the ground. Resources are being stretched in most hospitals and the solution is not just a question of more beds. The required additional medical resources in terms of staffing, equipment and theatre facilities must be allocated too.

The Committee on the Future of Healthcare recommended that the implementation office for Sláintecare would be located in the Office of the Taoiseach. I understand that there was a worry among at least some members of the committee that the Department of Health might be given the responsibility for implementing the wide-ranging and radical changes recommended by the report. They felt that such a move would hamper progress.

Can the Taoiseach confirm that the implementation process will be under the control of his Department and not the Department of Health? Can he indicate when the process will be up and running?

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