Matt Shanahan (Waterford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Like everyone else in the House, I welcome the public health advice. It now signals, I hope, a transition out of Covid. We will be asking questions about what we have learned. There are a couple of issues I would like to raise in that regard, one of which is the use of antigen testing. We will have to figure out how for 15 months we could not implement a public health measure which has shown its value in the past three months. Another is how we ignored vitamin D. I believe much of the science will point to that as a great health omission.

Beyond that, we have the issue of HSE procurement and the dysfunction in it. We also have what I would call at this stage a forcing down of indigenous contractors who engaged with the HSE and now find the HSE trying to dictate new terms because it believes the Covid pandemic is passing. These include companies which had antiviral drugs approved by the EPA but the Department of Health did not engage with them.

In terms of the hospital situation, we have significant waiting lists throughout the country. I ask the Ministers of State to come up with a new strategy vis-à-visthe National Treatment Purchase Fund, NTPF. Where is Sláintecare? We know national community care networks are trying to organise but there is no evidence of that in the acute hospital sector. When will we start to see that happen?

The Minister of State, Deputy Butler, has left the Chamber but she is well aware we have significant deficiencies at University Hospital Waterford, UHW, in neurology, diabetes, trauma care and general diagnostics, not to mention trying to advance our 24-7 cardiac issue. I am seeking a forward capital development plan for University Hospital Waterford. Such a plan should be published for each of the other hospitals as well in order that we can see what plan we will take forward.

We have a significant issue with recruitment to residential care homes and with work permits, as the Minister of State knows. The Tánaiste advised this morning that work permits could take up to 20 further weeks. I ask that we look at taking an initiative in this regard. There are people in direct provision centres who are qualified and there is potentially an opportunity to get them out of these centres and working for a short time. We should give them some points towards their asylum applications based on that. They can be shadowed by other public health workers.

I heard the Minister of State, Deputy Feighan, mention the drugs strategy. I ask him again to look at supports for the drugs strategy, especially in Dublin. We will either pay now or we will pay later. It is as simple as that. I also ask the Minister of State to look at what is happening with opioid abuse in America. I am sure he is well aware of the problem, which is rampant in American universities. This begs a question about education on the use of recreational drugs.

As we know, a significant number of section 38 and 39 workers are excluded from the front-line recognition bonus. That is a mistake and I ask that it be revisited. How is the recognition bonus demonstrating social cohesion to family carers and those looking after disabled persons in their homes?

I welcome the future national CAMHS review. We cannot operate hospital care without multidisciplinary teams and we most definitely cannot do this for CAMHS either. I am sure a new review will show that. We need significant investment in that area.

We will have to consider setting up long Covid clinics throughout the country. There is ample evidence of its effects, similar to other post-viral syndromes. We will have to look at whether we are giving people the best care possible.

Will insiders or outsiders lead the proposed national Covid public inquiry, expert review or whatever it will be? What lessons will be discussed? A significant number of voices have been left outside public health policy over the past two years. If we want to have a full, frank and open discussion that will teach us anything, we have to allow other voices to be heard.

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