Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Covid has caused a significant increase in the waiting lists and a build-up of problems which are not fully diagnosed - pardon the pun - in the health service. A new plan on hospital waiting lists is to be brought to the Government shortly. Will the Taoiseach update us on when that will happen? Is this unit that sits in the Department of the Taoiseach involved in this plan?

Reports today indicate that the 2022 plan is funded to the tune of €350 million and that it will set out actions to address backlogs and deliver further reductions. Can the Taoiseach confirm if funding for this will be reallocated money that was destined for recruitment, a matter I raised with him yesterday, or will the recruitment money be ring-fenced and separate? This is an important question.

What is being put in place to do catch-up regarding HPV screening and other screening programmes, and also in relation to vaccinations? Finally, when will the capital plan for 2022 be announced or must the Government treat it the same way as it treated sports capital grants and make sure it gets all the information out beforehand across the country?

See this speech in context