Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I assure the Deputy that Sláintecare is Government policy but it does require an implementation plan. It lacked such a plan and the Minister and the Government have been working on this for quite some time. I also assure Deputy Harty that the greatest vested interests in healthcare are not the HSE or the Department of Health. We can talk about this another time if the Deputy wishes.

In the absence of the implementation plan the Government has taken ten actions. The Sláintecare programme office has been established and a director will be appointed shortly. The legislation for the establishment of an independent board for the HSE, as recommended by Sláintecare, has the approval of the Government. The independent review called for by the Sláintecare to look at separating private and public practice has been set up, is chaired by Donal de Buitléir and has started its work. The call by Sláintecare for the hospital groups and the CHOs to be aligned and for public consultation on the geographic alignment has commenced. We have published the health service capacity review that recommends the number of additional beds that are needed. Negotiations have commenced with GPs on a new contract. Prescription charges, as recommended by Sláintecare, have been reduced. Free GP care and medical cards have been extended.

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