Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Minister is very welcome to the House. Too often there are situations where the Minister comes before the House because the news is not good and he is challenged on various issues. However, today is a good news day. What is being rolled out in the investment in our health services across the length and breadth of the country is breath-taking. It is to the Minister’s eternal credit that he has ramped up the capital investment programme, because unfortunately there have been decades of underinvestment in this country. The children's hospital is the first hospital that has been built in a long time in this country. It has probably been a couple of decades. However, it will be built and it will be a phenomenal facility. It will ensure the health of children will be at the centre of our health priorities. That is very welcome.

In my area of Limerick, the 96-bed block is being built at the moment. The Minister turned the sod on it. That will be commissioned at the end of next year. While it will not be the panacea to solve the emergency department, ED, problems in Limerick, it is certainly an incremental step in the right direction. The Minister announced a proposal last week for the commissioning of and foundation works on the second 96-bed block, so that when the business case is submitted to and approved by him, it will happen without delay. That will have a serious impact on the situation in the emergency department. The first block will have an impact, but the second block will make a massive difference. The Minister might be able to give us an idea of timelines. The foundation works, etc., are being completed on the Minister’s instruction to the HSE by the current contractors. It is my understanding that enabling works and foundation works are major elements of the construction process. Building the walls, putting in the windows, etc., are not as big a job as the enabling and the foundation works. That is great news.

We try to explain to people sometimes that you cannot just build hospital blocks by clicking your fingers. There is a process involved. We are deeply committed, as is the Minister, to the process. We will be in a situation where there will be 190 beds. The Nightingale ward, which is the wing being closed down, has approximately 46. In real terms, therefore, we are still looking at the bones of 150 extra beds at UHL. There are changes happening at the moment under Bernard Gloster to processes and to the back door and the front door admissions and discharges. All of that will make a difference. It will seriously impact in a positive way on the situation in Limerick.

I am particularly struck by the huge investment that is happening in primary care and particularly primary care centres. Everyone in Clare can see the construction of what is going to be a phenomenal facility on Station Road in Ennis. The primary care centre in Kilrush is up and running and it is doing great work. There are plans for other primary care centres in south-east Clare and in Ennistymon. We would all love if they could happen immediately, but, as I said, there is a process is involved.

The Department does not have an easy job. The Minister probably has one of the hardest jobs in the Government in dealing with health, because of decades of lack of investment. That happened because there was an economic collapse in 2008, 2009 and 2010. It took us a while to recover from that. Then there was Brexit. There is now a war in Ukraine. There was Covid-19. In spite of all of that, we are still in a position in this country to invest €23 billion in health. We do not always get value money, but we are going in the right direction.

I concur with my colleague, Senator Clifford-Lee, about the report submitted by Ms O'Shea. We need to see action in implementing that. The operational areas in which she recommended change will happen and the Minister is committed to making them happen. Yet, we also need to see some legislative changes - for example, in regard to this three-day period of reflection. It is insulting to women. I can understand why it happened, because we were trying to get repeal over the line at the time. While I did not agree with it, I could see the logic behind it. When I asked Ms O’Shea at the health committee yesterday if one person had changed their mind after the three-day period, she was able to say that, to her the best of her knowledge, nobody had. This is something we can change very quickly.

I want to see all the recommendations implemented. I know it might be not possible, but really and truly, we need to be liberal in how we approach this report. We need to be liberal in implementing the recommendations of the report. The main thrust of the referendum three or four years ago was to trust women. Let us trust women and let us implement the recommendations of the report.