Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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1374. To ask the Minister for Health the degree to which he has studied and will implement the recently published report on the future of the health services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28187/17]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Supporting the establishment of the cross-party Committee on the Future of Healthcare in June 2016 was one of the first actions I took on becoming Minister for Health. The establishment of the Committee was supported across this House, demonstrating a shared understanding of the scale of the challenges facing our health services and recognition of the need for a fundamental re-shaping of our vision and long-term strategy for healthcare, based on cross-party consensus. I have supported this process from the outset, which I firmly believe has provided us with a once in a generation opportunity to transform our health services.

The Committee has lived up to its mandate and it is to be commended on the significant achievement of developing a future vision, based upon political consensus, for our health services. The report is the culmination of a year-long process of unprecedented cross-party collaboration, dialogue and engagement and is testament of the desire across the political spectrum and across the broader stakeholder community to work collaboratively to address the challenges in the health service.

I have been clear since the Committee commenced its work that I would not advance major structural reforms until it had reported out of respect for the process. I look forward to the upcoming Dáil debate on the report and will listen carefully to the views from across the Dáil. Following the debate, it is my intention to bring detailed analysis and proposals to Government.