Dáil debates

Wednesday, 9 September 2020

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions

 

12:20 pm

Photo of Micheál MartinMicheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I fully empathise with the Deputy's presentation. We are with him on the need to respond to these issues. This is why the HSE has developed a draft plan, which contains proposals for health service delivery in the Covid-19 pandemic for the winter and through to 2021, to address the backlog of non-Covid care as a result of the pandemic itself. It is built on a number of pillars, including building capacity, testing and tracing, contact tracing, public health, cancer services, targeting waiting lists and workforce planning because it will require the recruitment of additional personnel. Resources will be provided to enable this to happen. Already, unprecedented resources have been allocated to the health service and will continue to be allocated to the health service given the emergency we are in and the enormous unprecedented challenges that have been presented to the health services by Covid-19.

The Deputy's points on mental health are well made but there have been restrictions in mental health services because of Covid. Again, part of the planning is designed to try to enhance and improve, within the constraints of Covid, mental health services and the overall population health needs of the public, particularly those with chronic enduring illnesses and our senior citizens. Particular attention in the winter initiative plan will be focused on these.

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