2026-02-24

1. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on health will next meet. [10452/26]

2. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on health will next meet. [10454/26]

3. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Taoiseach when the abinet committee on health will next meet. [11618/26]

4. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on health will next meet. [11844/26]

5. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on health will next meet. [11881/26]

6. Deputy Martin Daly asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on health will next meet. [69861/25]

7. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on health will next meet. [69862/25]

8. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on health will next meet. [69863/25]

9. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on health will next meet [7694/26]

10. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on health will next meet. [12129/26]

11. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on health will next meet. [12131/26]

12. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on health will next meet. [9924/26]

13. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on health will next meet. [9926/26]

14. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on health will next meet. [10030/26]

15. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on health will next meet. [12503/26]

16. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on health will next meet. [14749/26]

17. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on health will next meet. [14761/26]

18. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on health will next meet. [14820/26]

I propose to take Questions No. 1 to 18, inclusive, together. The Cabinet committee oversees implementation of the programme for Government commitments in relation to health, receives detailed reports on identified policy areas, and considers health reforms, including Sláintecare, the reform of public health and health system preparedness for future health threats. It also receives reports in relation to programme for Government commitments in the areas of mental health and drugs policy. It is attended by the Minister for Finance, the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and the Minister for Health. As for Sláintecare 2025+, our latest Sláintecare strategy published in May of 2025, it aims to forge the way towards accessible, affordable, high-quality healthcare for the people of Ireland when and where they need it. The waiting time action plan 2026 published on 30 January, represents Government’s continued commitment to improving access to hospital care. Since commencement of the multi-annual action plan approach, significant progress has been made in reducing the length of time hospital patients are waiting. The new regional structures within the HSE have been established with the six new health regions and 20 integrated healthcare areas. Health and social care services are planned and delivered around the specific needs of local populations, leading to better co-ordination of care and access to services. Capacity in emergency services is continually reviewed. There has been an increase in the number of public-only consultants in emergency medicine and more senior staff are rostered in emergency departments during weekends and public holidays for better decision-making. The workforce will continue to grow through the recruitment of key roles, retention measures and additional college places for key disciplines. Care is being delivered closer to home in 180 primary care centres through 96 community health networks, 27 community specialist teams for older persons, and 26 community specialist teams for chronic diseases, all now operational. There are 23 community intervention teams which are operational, with national coverage secured. A new era of innovation and digital transformation is under way. The national patient app has been rolled out. The national shared care record will be developed throughout the year and the electronic health record, recently agreed by Government, will also be progressed. Additional projects that are key to the increased digitalisation of the health service include a national system for electronic prescribing, remote health monitoring and virtual care solutions. In mental health, workforce and infrastructure in community-based services will be further supported. Budget 2026 sees increase in funding for mental health services for the sixth year in a row, bringing the budget to almost €1.6 billion, an increase of 50% since 2020. The findings of the report on the review into child and adolescent and mental health services, CAMHS, in north Kerry are deeply concerning and unacceptable. Government's main focus has to be on the children, young people and families who have been impacted by this report. A public apology has also been issued by the HSE, including in letters to impacted families. A dedicated helpline and access to the clinical liaison support team remains open to all those affected. HSE South West intends to carry out a clinical review of files of young people who have accessed north Kerry CAMHS over a defined period and details of this further phase will be developed shortly. It is important to note that the issues raised by this report and more broadly by the 2022 Maskey report continue to be the focus of significant reform and service improvements in youth mental health services in this country. Much has changed since 2022. North Kerry CAMHS has introduced new standard operating procedures, care planning policies, file systems and prescribing guidelines. The two Kerry CAMHS teams in place today have a significantly increased multidisciplinary clinical staff complement, higher than any of the other eight CAMHS teams in the region. Over the past three years, an additional €44 million, which is an increase of 32%, has been allocated to support CAMHS to increase core staffing, reduce waiting lists and expand CAMHS hubs to improve crisis cover for services. In budget 2026, funding has been allocated to develop a new CAMHS emergency liaison service, increase out-of-hours on-call, and to establish a new CAMHS eating disorder team and two new CAMHS mental health with intellectual disability teams. Government recognises that recruitment is challenging. There is no denying that; however, progress is being made. Investment in national clinical programmes and models of care have led to significant service improvements, including the full implementation of a specialist perinatal mental health network and the ongoing expansion of specialist mental health teams for eating disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, ADHD, in adults and dual diagnosis. In older people's services, older people will be further supported to live at home within their own communities and we will also strengthen the nursing home sector. The work of the independent commission on care for older people is currently under way and the national policy on adult safeguarding for the health and social care sector, a programme for Government commitment, was launched in December. In disability, budget 2026 allocated a record €3.8 billion to the HSE for the provision of specialist disability services. This 20% year-on-year increase will provide permanent and dedicated funding to essential disability services, including residential respite and therapy services, ensuring that disabled people continue to be supported. All these commitments build on the investment and reforms undertaken over the past number of years, including the delivery of approximately 1,480 acute beds; an increased workforce of approximately 32,000 since 2020; more affordable healthcare through reductions in the drug payment scheme threshold to €80; removal of hospital inpatient charges; extension of the eligibility for free GP cards for all children under eight and to all earning no more than the median income; State-funded in vitro fertilisation, IVF; free contraception for women aged 17 to 35; and free access to hormone replacement therapies, HRT. The Government will continue to invest in reform, changing the way health services deliver this year and into the future. The HSE capital plan 2026 and the HSE digital for care plan were approved by Government this morning. Funding of €1.54 billion has been made available to the HSE in 2026 for health capital expenditure. Building and equipment projects include surgical hubs, elective treatment centres, the National Children’s Hospital Ireland and the National Maternity Hospital. Transformative digital projects include the HSE's health app, the national shared care record and the development of the national electronic health record. Disability capital projects include residential, respite and day services. In addition, in 2026, €43 million has been provided to support specialist community-based disability services, representing a €16 million increase in funding on 2025.

I thank the Taoiseach. As there has been a precedent set to diverge from Standing Orders on Taoiseach's Questions and there was no change at the Standing Order Committee, I propose that I will take the 18 Deputies, or those present, for a minute each, and the Taoiseach will respond. However, after the Easter session I will revert to Standing Orders at 15 minutes per question in the absence of agreement from the Standing Order Dáil reform committee. We will begin with Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett.

If we are going to provide for children with special needs, for the mental health of young people and for mental health services generally, we need to rapidly recruit more people with the qualifications necessary to provide assessments and services. We are not doing it. Despite lip service being paid by the Government to the fact that it is, it is not actually doing it. I want to give the Taoiseach a dramatic example. I happen to know somebody who has a masters and a bachelor of arts, BA, in psychology and who applied to UCD to do a doctorate. There were 370 applications for nine places in clinical psychology. Everybody had to have a minimum of a 2.1 in a BA. Most of them had a masters and had experience but only nine got places in clinical psychology. There were 14 places in educational, I think, and a similar number.

I call Deputy Paul Murphy.

Why are there not more places to allow the people who want to work in areas like psychology and allied health professions-----

Deputy Boyd Barrett is now in Deputy Murphy's time.

-----to actually get qualified and provide the services we need in our health service?

I call Deputy Paul Murphy. We are not going to tolerate that either.

Over the summer, I met with Kirsty and Barry, who told me a heartbreaking and deeply troubling story about how their son Brody had been treated at Children's Health Ireland, CHI. He was diagnosed with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, DIPG, in May 2024. This is a very aggressive brain tumour that is inoperable. Children are treated as palliative once they are diagnosed. He then had a very invasive and dangerous procedure of a biopsy. As a result of the biopsy, he had a massive brain haemorrhage. His brain swelled to such a degree that the back of his skull had to be effectively cut off. He walked into the operating theatre in full command of the use of all his limbs and so on. After the operation and the biopsy, he could only move one of his eyes and he never learned to walk again. The biopsy was unnecessary. There was no clinical benefit to having the biopsy. The issue is that this is happening widely. We appear to be doing much more biopsies-----

I call Deputy Liam Quaide.

-----than other countries with no medical benefit in doing them. Will the Taoiseach examine this?

I want to bring the Taoiseach back once again to that cohort of workers who kept the health service going at our moment of deepest crisis in recent years. I refer to housekeeping staff, porters, nurses, healthcare assistants and other clinicians, some of whom contracted Covid at the height of the pandemic and went on to develop a debilitating condition known as long Covid. A small group of those workers was in receipt of special Covid leave with pay until 31 December. They were receiving that payment on the basis that they contracted the virus in high-risk settings and have been unable to return to work since due to disabling post-exertional malaise and a range of other symptoms. That scheme was cut because the Labour Court ruled in June of last year that it could not recommend further extensions until long Covid was classified by Government as an occupational injury for this cohort. The Taoiseach met a group of these workers in Cork around the time of the Labour Court decision. Would he meet them again to hear how they have been impacted by the termination of their special Covid leave with pay?

A number of survivors of industrial and reformatory schools were on hunger strike last year. There were commitments on behalf of Government to provide health supports. Could the Taoiseach say when those health supports will be in place? Related to that, on the Dáil schedule tomorrow there is, "Apology related to childhood abuse (hunger strikers) (working title): Statements". Is that apology going to be for all survivors? Could the Taoiseach be specific in relation to that? Have they been notified of that apology?

The oncology unit for St. Luke's Hospital is currently offsite at UPMC, and has been for almost six years. Since the Covid pandemic, it moved there and never moved back. Providing a safe and efficient service to the oncology patients is the most important part of the work in the oncology day ward. St. Luke's Hospital in Kilkenny treats patients from Carlow, Kilkenny and parts of Laois and Tipperary but being offsite for many years has had a number of implications, such as lack of quick access to labs, pharmacy, charts and a resus team in the emergency department. These are causing delays daily in the unit. Lately, there has been talk of delays for oncology patients getting started on systemic anti-cancer treatment in both Kilkenny and University Hospital Waterford. I note that the UHW oncology day ward had been in UPMC Whitfield for six years and just moved back to UHW two weeks ago. Being off-site impacts the unit through delays in chemotherapy delivery labs and, in turn, impacts capacity in the day ward, and so impacts the patients. We need to get back on-site to St. Luke's to offer a safer and more efficient service. Over €1.3 million per annum is paid to UPMC in rent for the oncology unit to be off-site. Surely this money could be put towards a new oncology unit on-site at St. Luke's. Will the Taoiseach prioritise this with the HSE and the hospital management?

I want to raise an issue in the west and north-west health region, which recorded 1,263 delayed transfers of care in 2025 due specifically to the absence of stepdown and rehabilitation capacity. Against that reality, a ten-bed rehabilitation unit, which was promised to Roscommon University Hospital in 2015 and had progressed to detailed design phase 1, was included in the 2025 capital plan. It has now been omitted again in the 2026 capital plan, having been absent in 2024 despite lobbying by me. This was a practical, deliverable project intended to support patient flow across hospitals in Galway, Roscommon, Mayo, Sligo and Letterkenny. Will the Taoiseach make a statement on the matter?

A new stand-alone oncology unit for University Hospital Kerry is vital for all cancer patients and their families in Kerry. I impress upon the Taoiseach and the Minister for Health the urgent requirement to have a stand-alone oncology-haematology unit on the grounds of UHK to provide Kerry patients with the dignity, privacy and comfort they deserve during one of the most challenging periods of their lives. The Comfort for Chemo Kerry committee, a wonderful organisation, has already raised over €1.5 million in funds, and a site has been designated for the purpose within the UHK campus. This project is extremely important for Kerry, and I am anxious that it proceed as soon as possible. The delays only mean an escalation in costs for an already costly undertaking. This vital project would lessen the need for many Kerry patients to travel to hospitals in Cork, Limerick, Dublin and abroad for cancer treatments, many in multiple trips. The temporary oncology unit in UHK could not cope with the more than 5,000 patients treated there last year. I pay tribute to my great and loyal friend, and director of elections, Brian Sugrue, a wonderful human being, who passed away this morning, in the early hours, after a long battle with illness. Brian had a very special and personal interest in this project. I extend my heartfelt condolences to his wife Maureen, his son John, his daughter Eva and the extended Sugrue and Foley families. I commit to pursuing a new oncology unit for the people of Kerry in Brian's memory.

I have received the following communication: I am writing as a parent of deaf adults. I … am interested in your views. My daughter and her partner were both born profoundly deaf and rely heavily on their hearing aid to be able to work and communicate their needs. At present a pair of hearing aids cost 5,800 euro per person and must be replaced every 5-7 years. While the treatment benefit scheme provides a 1,000 refund per pair, this leaves families like theirs a cost of 4,800 per pair. Simply to access sound. They were refused a medical card on income grounds even though there primary need is audiology care. Means testing does not account for lifelong disabilities with unavoidable costs. I am asking for your support in: Reconsidering eligibility for audiology only medical care access or Developing a non-means tested audiology pathway for congenital deafness. My daughter and her partner ... work … They pay a mortgage, childcare and commute daily to Dublin in order to be part of the working community. The main barrier to their inclusion in the workplace is hearing … We know the issue with the underemployment of those with disabilities in this State.

The Taoiseach mentioned the HSE capital plan announced earlier. I welcome the €50 million for the surgical hub adjacent to University Hospital Waterford. However, there is also a need for a new adult mental health unit in Waterford, a multi-storey car park at the regional hospital and a new medical school in South East Technological University, SETU. Unfortunately, plans for a primary care centre in Lismore have been put on hold. I also want to ask the Taoiseach about the need for 24-7 cardiac care, specialist care and emergency care. This is a long-running campaign. The Minister for Health announced last year that the Government was committed to it. Where is it? How long will it take? What is the timescale? What additional staff are needed to scale up to get there? We cannot have announcement after announcement, but still have no sense as to when that will be delivered.

The Irish State was a real leader when it came to the smoking ban - I know the Taoiseach, Deputy Martin, played a big part - but there are equally concerning issues in relation to other nicotine products. While work is being done on vaping, I want to raise with the Taoiseach the issue of nicotine pouches. I am not sure if the Taoiseach is familiar with them, but teenagers use these little pouches, which they put on their gums. They can pass ten times the amount of nicotine versus a single cigarette - they are really strong. Teenagers can use them in school because no one can spot them under their gums. They are marketed in a similar way to vapes, in really cool packaging, with flavours, and there is essentially no age restriction. They are really concerning. We need to get ahead of these nicotine technologies. I ask the Taoiseach to look into it. The principals' association has twice requested guidance from the Department of Health on this issue, and I do not think it has been forthcoming.

Is it the principals of schools?

Yes, the schools want to deal with this themselves. They are looking for guidance from the Department of Health about nicotine pouches specifically, but the legislation also needs to incorporate this.

We know that early intervention is key in a child's development. There is no earlier intervention than a newborn child receiving a developmental assessment from a public health nurse. According to the HSE, a child should receive a developmental assessment at the first visit, at three months, at nine to 11 months, at 21 to 24 months and at 46 to 48 months. In Dublin Mid-West, we have a postcode lottery of access to public health nurses. Only two health centres out of the 12 in Dublin Mid-West are able to offer the full range of developmental checks to newborns and infants. Babies from Adamstown, Deansrath, Palmerstown and Rowlagh are only getting first visits due to a shortage of public health nurses, prompting concerns that there could be a delay in diagnosing certain conditions. Infants from Rathcoole, Newcastle, Saggart, Citywest, Brittas and Fettercairn are not getting developmental checks after three months. This is not the first time I have raised this issue with the Taoiseach and other Members in this House. When will all the babies and infants in Dublin Mid-West receive these vital developmental checks?

I acknowledge the HSE capital plan that was announced today by the Minister, Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, and the Government, particularly the investment across all of our tertiary hospitals, but also in primary care. One particular primary care centre in my constituency, which I campaigned on as a councillor, is the Rathmines primary care centre. It is being co-located on a site where Dublin City Council is building age-friendly housing that will be supported by an approved housing body. I emphasise the impact on the community it is located in. I ask that we continue to invest in the roll-out of primary care centres. Terenure is another area that is underinvested in when it comes to primary care. I emphasise the positive impact those centres can have in providing services in the community they are located in, but also in supporting entry into adult hospitals and children's hospitals. We need to continue that investment in primary care.

Mixed messaging from the Government and the HSE has caused confusion and uncertainty about the future plans for an elective hospital at Merlin Park in Galway. The hospital has been promised for years. It is critical for healthcare in the west of Ireland and for taking pressure off University Hospital Galway, UHG. The people of Galway want immediate and full clarity on whether plans to build an elective hospital at Merlin Park are going ahead, and whether the funding to deliver these plans is in place. They want clarity on why there will not be any beds as part of this development, and if this will limit the number of procedures and treatments that can be carried out at this new elective hospital.

The Deputy referred to beds. It is an elective hospital.

They would be recovery beds. If you have a hip replaced, you need a bed to recover.

The announcement of almost €26 million for healthcare disability projects in north Dublin today is very welcome. I have had ongoing engagement with the Government about these priorities at Beaumont Hospital, St. Joseph's Hospital, St. Francis Hospice, St. Michael's House and Chanel College in Coolock. I have consistently highlighted how urgent this investment is for the northside. I really appreciate the constructive approach taken by the Government. Nonetheless, the reality is that older people and people with disabilities in north Dublin are under serious strain. While this investment is welcome, what people really want to know is when the delivery will be. They want to know when the shovels will be in the ground. Will the Taoiseach commit to following up directly with the Department of Health and the HSE to ensure clear timelines are in place for these projects?

I thank the Deputies for the questions. We began with Deputy Boyd Barrett in terms of special needs mental health and basically the recruitment issue. Yes, recruitment is the issue. We have allocated resources and what has stymied our endeavour to expand capacity has been actual recruitment itself. In fact, going back over the last two decades, we have increased places fairly significantly in allied healthcare professionals, particularly in the therapists, for example. Of those who graduate, not all go into the health services. Many go elsewhere. Some go abroad, some go into different services. There is an issue there in terms of those additional places that we are creating in third level and have expanded places. Even in Northern Ireland we have procured places from the third level colleges there. There have been challenges in transforming that student cohort into a workforce subsequently. That is just reality. There is no point in nodding your head; that is it.

There are not enough places.

The other key challenge has been clinical placements in terms of people pursuing various disciplines. We are expanding that too. This morning, the Minister received further sanction for additional places in all our third level colleges in respect of medicine and allied healthcare professionals. The Deputy had a specific query in terms of clinical psychology and the short number of places. Again, you cannot overnight turn nine into 25 or 30 because we need lots of capacities downstream to facilitate, both within the college and in terms of clinical placements and so on. I will raise the issue with the Minister for higher education in respect of clinical psychology itself. To a certain extent, if there was that many applying, we should see how best we can use that talent pool for the disciplines because we need more and more people and we need more multidisciplinary teams. Part of the issue with psychiatry was the absence of multidisciplinary teams historically in the mental health arena. I am very open to that and will talk to the Minister in respect of it. Deputy Murphy raised what I consider to be a horrific story, a very sad story for the family, a very challenging and traumatic diagnosis. For it to be followed by the biopsy and so on - I cannot clinically call that. I presume that was CHI?

Yes.

I am not clear but I would have hoped that there was a multidisciplinary team that would oversee the conduct of biopsies, either recommending them or not recommending them with a view to both the diagnosis and also the trauma on the child and the potential implications, negatively, obviously, as the Deputy has outlined and articulated.

It was not in this case apparently, because it was a bank holiday. The MD team was skipped, apparently.

I might take that offline with the Deputy and we will see if we can pursue it. Deputy Quaide raised the issue of long Covid. I would be open to meeting the group again. I did meet with the group last June, as the Deputy said. He knows the narrative in terms of the position in that the Labour Court made a ruling in respect of this. I will again engage with the Ministers responsible. There are complexities around consequentials and so on like that. The healthcare service and the Department of public expenditure are saying that the public service sick leave scheme follows then, which is full pay for three months followed by half pay for three months. I get that the issue is the capacity of people with long Covid to participate in the workforce and the fact that it was, without question in my view, contracted on the hospital site. I do not dispute that. There can be a general argument as to where one contracts Covid, given the prevalence of Covid in society more generally. In the early part of Covid, there was no question that many healthcare professionals contracted it onsite in the hospitals. While one can never be totally definitive on that, it is a fairly plausible scenario that many did, particularly in the earlier phase when we had lockdowns and so on. Particular variants were more infectious than other variants. I will revisit this. To Deputy O'Rourke, that is tomorrow and it is in respect of the issues. The services are going to be provided. My understanding is that they are available. Obviously there will be a lead-in. There was a list of issues that were raised in the discussions I had with the group. One of those was an apology in respect of the boarded-out and we are going to be faithful to the agreement that we reached. The survivors concerned had been notified in respect of this. We will proceed with that tomorrow. To Deputy Peter "Chap" Cleere, the issue is that it is offsite. Is there a project in place to bring it back onsite or are we at a greenfield situation?

We have to wait for it to come back onsite.

Is there a project in the offing? I did not pick up----

We are waiting for the Dolmen Wing as well, which will free up other space.

I could not disagree with what the Deputy is saying. If you are onsite it is more seamless and faster, and better facilitates everybody working together on the situation. I will explore that and see what we can do. It is a good hospital, St. Luke's, with a very good track record in many areas and always was an innovative hospital in terms of how they do things. To Deputy Martin Daly, I will have to investigate----

Deputy Cahill would be next in rotation.

No, he is not actually; he is after Martin Daly.

Excuse me, Taoiseach, you are right. It is wrong here.

I have my notes here. I do take notice.

Is that an apology?

It is wrong here on the paper. Go ahead.

That auld bit of paper does not do you good but I would say it does not lead you astray too much.

It is your paper.

Deputy Daly raised the issue of the failure to go ahead with a ten-bed rehab unit in Roscommon hospital, and that it was in the capital programme for 2025 and taken out in 2026.

2015 to 2023, taken out in 2024, back in 2025, off in 2026.

That is crazy.

If all the Deputies do this we will never get home.

It clarifies the issue. I will pursue it. I do not think that should happen. I think we need certainty. If we are putting something into a capital programme in 2025, it should be in there in 2026 if it has not been progressed. I will pursue that with the Minister and with the HSE. Roscommon has proven itself to be a very good hospital for services. I remember the row we had back in 2016 on the emergency department. If we are all honest, once that row was dispensed with, the hospital got on with a whole load of services that have proven of real value to the people of the area and this clearly would be another. I thank Deputy Cullinane for welcoming the €50 million for the surgical hub. He followed that up with a list of about four other projects that need to be completed as well.

That we were promised.

I appreciate that he will be pursuing and advocating on behalf of them. On the 24-7 cardiac care, I will have to go back with the Minister. The commitment is there. I remember it going through Cabinet last year. We were told by clinicians for a long time and all the expert groups that it could not be done. Now it can be done, following the reviews, and I am determined that we pursue it and fulfil it. There has been progress made in terms of extension of the cover and all that. The commitment has been made and we will pursue that. I jumped ahead there. Deputy Michael Cahill is saying there needs to be a stand-alone unit for Kerry hospital in Tralee. Again I would support that. I think there is a project in train there, as the Deputy articulated. I will talk to the Minister in respect of that. I want to join with the Deputy in expressing sympathy to the family of Brian Sugrue, who I met myself and knew. He was a very strong advocate for such a unit in Kerry hospital. I know he was a very close friend and confidante of Deputy Cahill. We sympathise with the Deputy too on his loss and the loss in the area. If Deputy Ó Murchú could give me an extended note on that case, email it to me or whatever, it is an interesting case. I am very interested in finding out examples of where we are not looking after those in the deaf community or the visually impaired community. These are very serious, lifelong disabilities, to lose your sight or to lose hearing. I think we can do better, particularly on the employment front. It is great that this couple are working. The Deputy is saying that the cost for them for the hearing aid is €5,800.

Even with the €1,000 back it is €4,800 per person.

I will look at that because I think we should be in a position. Very often the health service is not responsive because it wants to do general approaches to supports but I have often had a view that visually impaired and hearing impaired should be carved out somewhat, particularly where it facilitates employment. We should really support employment. We do not do that as well as we should. I will pursue the matter Deputy Whitmore raised. Was it health guidance? They should be banned from schools in my view.

They should.

We have to get tough again on tobacco. In the manifestation of all these new technologies, we are witnessing the revenge of tobacco following the smoking ban and other smoking cessation initiatives. The Public Health (Tobacco) Act 2002 was comprehensive. It was not just about the smoking ban; it was about getting rid of ten-packs and the sale of single cigarettes and putting cigarettes out of sight in shops in order that they were not next to confectionary items or children's sweets. In other words, it came down to denormalising tobacco. Vapes and other products constitute a counter-move aimed at renormalising tobacco. The health impacts are significant, serious and bad according to health experts. It bewilders me that products of this kind can get on the market without due diligence. We were talking about food and other stuff, and medicine has to go through the FDA and all sorts of other food safety authorities. This stuff gets on shelves very readily. It is doing terrible damage to our young people. The Minister of State, Deputy Murnane O'Connor, is bringing forward legislation to ban the use of vapes for young people under 18 and other measures. We need to re-examine the whole area, because it is creeping back in. Deputy Geoghegan referred to the primary care centre in Rathmines. He is right; it will have a significant impact on that community. We will continue to invest in primary care centres. As I said earlier, there has been somewhat of a transformation. It took a bit longer than people anticipated in terms of getting the finances right, be it private sector capital or public sector capital or a marriage of the two, but now we have about 180 primary care centres, I think, as I outlined in my opening remarks, plus other forms of community centres and of healthcare. That is something we will continue to do. I am not clear as to the mixed messages regarding Merlin Park to which Deputy O'Hara referred. My understanding is that the elective unit is going ahead. The Government committed to elective units in Galway and in Cork. They are at various stages. I am keeping a bit of pressure on for both, as well as the two earmarked for Dublin. These are commitments I want to see honoured. The sites are there. They are State owned, which should facilitate the development of the elective hospitals. The idea is to take all of that out of the acute then. It is not to be an acute hospital; it is to be an elective hospital. Not all but much of the work will be day-case procedures. Deputy Heneghan welcomed a lot. Inevitably, however, when there is a welcome, there is a but. The Deputy wants a timeline - so the narrative goes on. I will follow through on that. We are committed to all of those projects. I will check with the Minister for Health about the matter raised by Deputy Mark Ward regarding developmental checks in Dublin Mid-West more generally. He said a lot of children are not getting them until many months later.

Ten out of 12 healthcare centres are not delivering them.

I will discuss that with the Minister for Health in order to see what we can do. Developmental checks are very important in terms of early diagnosis. We can prevent a lot if developmental checks are done earlier.

We will move on to Questions Nos. 19 to 31, inclusive. We are due to finish at 4.12 p.m.

I will go as fast as I can.

Can we take the reply as read?

Can we formally take it as read?