Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Thankfully, the trend is going in the right direction but we must be mindful that, as of yesterday, 1,659 people have lost their lives to Covid-19 in this country. Behind that statistic are many broken hearts and bereaved families.

Once again I wish to put on record our appreciation of the work of the Minister and the Department and the work of all who continue to serve on the front line of the pandemic and its wider impact on our health services.

I support the comments the Minister made yesterday regarding the demonstration which took place in Dublin last weekend. Those of us who uphold values of respect and inclusiveness abhor the brutal murder of George Floyd and the disgraceful response of the President of the United States at a time when leadership was needed. I appreciate too that people here and around the world wanted to make it known that they were appalled by the Trump regime. Yet, surely there must be another way. For example, a petition on behalf of the people delivered to the United States Embassy could have made an impact. We cannot risk the gains we have made. We cannot put our front-line workers at any undue risk. We cannot put the lives of those over 70 years of age at risk. Like our President, I hate the term "cocooning" but our older folk have made immense sacrifices.

Those responsible for day services for people with disabilities are waiting on direction from the Department of Health and the national public health emergency team on how to open up their services. Many people who avail of these services have been at home since March living with parents. Many of these parents are elderly, struggling to continue with care and have had no respite in that time. Families want these services to re-open, the service providers want to re-open but they need guidance and support to do so.

Will the Minister give a brief overview on health services available to the Traveller community during the Covid-19 pandemic? Has the Department ensured that all Traveller families have access to a Traveller primary care nurse and healthcare team? Is the Department aware of the particular challenges faced by Traveller families during the pandemic on access to basic services, ability to maintain social distancing and good hand hygiene as well as access to mental health and peer-led support services? Several urgent items need to be addressed to support our Traveller community. I am mindful that there has been no increase in spending on Traveller primary healthcare since 2008. We need to publish and implement the national Traveller health action plan as a matter of urgency. This includes the establishment of a planning advisory body for Traveller health with dedicated staff and budgets to drive its delivery and implementation. We need the appointment of a senior-level official with exclusive responsibility for Traveller health within the Department of Health and the HSE. This person would prioritise Traveller health needs and ensure Traveller health is mainstreamed within all divisions and policies of the Department of Health and within the work of the HSE. The person would also support the implementation of the national Traveller health action plan. Sláintecare recommends access to universal GP care within five years. We recommend that Travellers be prioritised and fast-tracked in this process. Moreover, Travellers employed in primary healthcare projects are entitled to a medical card.

The Traveller-specific health infrastructure, including Traveller health units and Traveller primary healthcare projects, should be protected and receive increased resources for its expansion and development. A clear budget should be allocated and protected to address Traveller health inequalities at national level.

I commend the Minister's Department on the partnership approach it adopted early on during the pandemic to Traveller advocacy and development organisations to ensure that information was forthcoming and Traveller specific, and on the way in which local authorities responded to accommodation needs. My main concern, however, is that there has been an historic underfunding of services, leading to poor health outcomes for children and families. This needs to be an ongoing priority for the next Government.

Regarding Covid, I have heard no discourse whatsoever about our Roma community. Like our Traveller community, members of the Roma community are particularly vulnerable, if not more so due to an absence of any infrastructure to support them. Out of an estimated population of 4,000 people, 60 have contracted Covid and, sadly, there have been eight deaths. What specific healthcare supports are on the ground to support the Roma community during the Covid pandemic?

When will the roadmap for the opening up of full medical services be made available to the public? Many patients are waiting on services and surgeries that, although elective and possibly non-urgent, would have a major impact on their quality of life. Last week, I mentioned video fluoroscopy services at Temple Street. Thankfully, they will be up and running in June. I welcome that development and thank the Minister for it. His Department has indicated to my colleague, Deputy Ossian Smyth, that the roadmap has been developed. The Minister indicated in the Dáil on 21 May that he expected the roadmap to be available within two weeks. As such, I would be grateful if he could inform us of his Department's progress. Clear and effective communication to patients is highlighted as one of the key principles of the roadmap, but there is currently no such communication.

I attended the Covid-19 committee meeting on Tuesday and was happy to hear that work had resumed in respect of orthopaedics, rapid access cancer services and actively growing the number of cardiology and stroke attendances. I understand that private hospitals are being utilised in that respect. It is good to hear that their capacity has increased to 54%. Will the Minister provide some clarity on the number of patients to whom this relates? As outlined to the committee, the aim now is to increase this capacity for the remaining weeks of the deal. Will the Minister clarify how this is to be done and what services will be resumed?

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