Michael Mullins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the fact that €150 million will be invested by the European Investment Bank in social housing in the State between now and 2017. While the building of 2,400 units is certainly to be welcomed, I hope the Government in the forthcoming budget ensures further significant investment in social housing also takes place.

Yesterday, the HSE published a report entitled Community Health Care Organisations - Report and Recommendations of the Integrated Service Area Review Group. The report sets out how health services outside the acute hospitals will be organised and managed. It involves, among other things, the establishment of nine community health care organisations and the development of 90 primary care networks averaging a population of 50,000 people, with each community health organisation having an average of ten networks to support groups of primary care teams and enable integration of all services for a local population. This will see the reform of social care, mental health and health and well-being services to better serve local communities. This is a very significant development and it would be appropriate to have the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, attend the House as soon as possible to tease out the report to ensure past mistakes are not repeated. I ask the Acting Leader to organise that debate in the near future.