Michael McNamara (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State. I am glad to hear that the Minister for Health will go with her. I have often wondered whether we should have a Minister for Health and a Minister for Covid response. I do not agree with the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, but I appreciate that he must be completely overwhelmed with the Covid response and the requirement to restructure and refocus the healthcare system still exists and pertains. I am delighted to hear he is able to find the time to go to Cappagh hospital and see what they do. I think one needs to see the children who are being treated, but also the children who are not being treated, to understand the priority of this issue. When mentioning Deputies Brendan Smith and Cahill, I did not mean to exclude Deputy McAuliffe. All I can say is that I hope the Deputies are able to prevail on the Minister for Health and impress on him how important this issue is and that maybe something good can come out of it. It is important that those at Cappagh hospital be able to continue their important work and it is very important for the development of children that they are not suffering from debilitating conditions that are so eminently treatable.

I appreciate that it is a lot of money, but it is not a huge amount in the context of even the general health budget, much less the health budget we have now. It is good news that the Minister is at least going to the hospital and I hope he will be as struck as the Minister of State clearly has been by the impact this investment might make. Ultimately, in a Department such as the Department of Health, the Minister holds the purse strings. I hope he will be able to announce something positive.

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