Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

There was no Covid in 2017. When the report was launched, it was because it was urgent and necessary. When did the Minister meet Tom Keane? Will the Minister please clarify that? When did that happen?

Regarding the roll-out of this programme, I hope I never hear a Minister stand up here again and use the deaths of people from Covid as an explanation for why there was no progress on the implementation of a plan that was necessary because of the deaths and illnesses of people who were suffering as a result of a completely dysfunctional health system. That is what we are looking at here. In Galway city, two orthopaedic theatres have been out of operation since 2017. Regionalisation is necessary, although we have gone through the dance before of the circular health boards - we abandoned them, brought in a health executive, had a board, abolished the board, brought the board back and now we are going back again to regionalisation. Covid did not stop regionalisation; a lack of willpower did.

Sláintecare should be located within the Department of the Taoiseach. Where is the interdepartmental committee with oversight? Where are the minutes of that committee? How often did it meet? Who is pushing this, notwithstanding that we must deal with Covid as a country?

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