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

That is definitely not a model that we will be following. In the election we will be encouraging people not to vote for Sinn Féin or for left wing parties precisely because that is what they want to do in Ireland. It is not a good thing.

On long Covid, early in the pandemic the HSE identified a need for a national service for long Covid and to set up a multidisciplinary team to develop a model of care under the auspices of the chief clinical officer. The model of care is now being implemented building on existing service provision in addition to establishing new services across GP and community services and acute hospitals, to ensure a national service is in place for those who need it. Funding for the model of care has been increased to €6.6 million this year. At present there are six long Covid clinics and seven post-acute Covid clinics that are operating nationally. The clinics currently operate at St. Vincent's and Beaumont and the post-acute Covid clinics operating under the new model of care will be in the Mater and Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown. In addition, Tallaght, St. James's Hospital, CUH, UHG and Limerick hospitals are operating combined post-acute and long Covid clinics. The HSE is working with Letterkenny to have a more definitive timeline around their anticipated launch date. Recruitment, which includes consultants in the areas of infectious disease, respiratory medicine, psychiatry, neurology and allied health professionals, clinical psychologists and administrators, is under way. To date 66 WTE primary notification numbers have been issued across all of the post-acute and long Covid clinics. As of 8 September last year, 46 whole-time equivalent posts had been followed. Deputies will appreciate that long Covid is an emerging area of medicine and expertise. There is still so much that we do not know about it.

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