Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I ask the Leader to facilitate a debate with the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, on the HSE winter plan. The €169 million plan was announced yesterday, yet today we were told by Liam Woods from the HSE, who spoke on the national broadcaster, that the recruitment process to hire a consultant from beginning to end takes up to 40 weeks. We all agree that 40 weeks from today means it will almost be next summer before the relevant consultants are approved and appointed in our hospitals.

As part of the debate, I ask that the Minister for Health answer questions pertaining to the new elective hospital for Cork. I want to commend my colleague, Deputy Colm Burke, on his work on this. It is a bit disappointing that as we come towards the end of the tenure of the Taoiseach we do not have the location, foundation or scaffolding in place to start the new hospital. I hope the Minister comes to the House to announce good news before the Taoiseach leaves office in December.There is an issue with bed capacity in our public hospitals, whether we like it or not.

The second point I would make as part of the debate is that we are, we are told, looking at a twindemic of Covid and flu again this year. I encourage and ask all Members of the House to support the HSE's campaigns on the booster for Covid and the flu vaccine. It is important we support the HSE on both those issues because the flu vaccine will help most particularly the vulnerable groups of our society and the booster vaccine those of us of a certain age and beyond.