Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

At the outset, I want to join with the Ceann Comhairle in offering my thanks and congratulations to Teresa Doolan. I worked with her in the Department of the Taoiseach, over here in the Oireachtas. She now moves across St. Stephen's Green to the Department of Justice. I wish her and the new officers taking up their roles the best.

If I may, I would like to take this opportunity to, on behalf of the Government, express our condolences to the friends and family of Oleksandr Zavhorodniy, a 45-year-old Ukrainian man who lived in Ireland for the past 20 years and worked in Aldi in Sandyford. He lived in Stillorgan and sadly lost his life defending his home country of Ukraine from Russian attack. I want to express our condolences to his friends and family on his death and acknowledge his bravery in going to Ukraine to fight for his country. He fell as a hero on the battlefield.

Regarding the question raised by the Deputy, I acknowledge that waiting lists for healthcare in Ireland are far too long and have been for a long time, long before the pandemic and the cyberattack. In the past few weeks, the HSE published a waiting list action plan that sets out in detail the actions that will be taken to reduce waiting lists. We are confident that, through its implementation, we will see the tide turn before the end of the year and start seeing waiting times falling. It is to be hoped we can action that plan, make it happen and see the tide turn before the end of the year.

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