Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I think the State should buy private hospitals. I am asking the Taoiseach to provide the analysis I am seeking. I will give him another week to so do. That is two weeks he will have had, as Taoiseach of the country, to get those figures. We need diagnostics in other spheres. We need a public awareness campaign to stop people missing appointments. We need that analysis today. People trying to get to appointments in Dublin today have been held up on the M7 for more than two hours. As the Taoiseach admitted, in fairness to him, and I accepted, many people just did not go to their appointments. Will that pattern continue for another three weeks? What will happen if the level 3 status is extended for another three weeks? What will happen if we go to level 5? We must not rob Peter to pay Paul. We need to have a plan for coronary care, cancer care and other care. That is the reason I am raising this issue. It is not politics. There is no doubt that mortality rates are higher than they were last year, as are morbidity rates. I am urging the Taoiseach to address this issue. I spoke to families this week who are very upset. I do not wish for this situation to continue. We need a plan to ring-fence resources in order to be able to ensure that these services are available and that people are attending them.

We also need a public awareness campaign.

The Taoiseach mentioned screening. It is a passion of mine; I am sure he understands that. First, the cervical cancer screening backlog was meant to be filled by this month. Has that been done? Second, if someone wants to get a BreastCheck appointment and does a Google search the website says the service is closed. Also, the screening should not have been changed from every two years to every three years. There is no clinical reason for that.

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