Niall Ó Donnghaile (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Yesterday in the North the Minister for Health, Ms Michelle O'Neill, MLA, launched a visionary ten year plan for her Department. Central to the ethos of the Minister is a universal health care system free at the point of delivery. The plan, Health and Wellbeing 2026: Delivering Together, came about after consideration of the report of an expert panel led by Professor Rafael Bengoa, entitled Systems, Not Structures - Changing Health and Social Care. This report set out the need for radical and fundamental change in the health care system. It identified that a system designed for the 20th century was no longer fit for purpose in the 21st century. There was uniform support, endorsement and ratification from the Executive yesterday for the Minister's report. She presented the initial outline plan and aspirations of the report to the Assembly yesterday. It has been welcomed by the health care sector and, by and large, by the trade unions who represent the vast array of workers within the health care sector in the North.

One of the key issues that the Minister, Michelle O'Neill, MLA, has been working on with the Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, has been greater harmonisation and co-operation at a cross-Border level on the issue of health, which is of such critical and fundamental importance. We have seen and can all acknowledge and appreciate the very real benefits that come about as a result of the cross-Border co-operation planning, strategising and work, not least in the role of the children's health care and congenital heart disease network that has been very warmly and positively received throughout the country.

I propose today and through our leader Senator Conway-Walsh at the Committee on Procedure and Privileges that we invite both Ministers to the House after the Christmas break.We should extend an invitation to both Ministers for Health to come to the Seanad to address us not only on the emerging issues from the very far-sighted plan of the Minister, Michelle O'Neill, but also to discuss the existing cross-Border co-operation around health care, what they believe are the benefits of that and what they can do to improve and build on it in the time ahead.