The Minister of State has outlined a lot of figures, but from the human point of view, I know a lady who had her own business and who had to work part time to look after her mother. She was sanctioned, she was passed for the hours and they had hours Monday to Friday, but on Saturday and Sunday and in the evening, she had to go in. This is a woman with her own family, and she is travelling to look after her mother. The situation is that it was sanctioned and the hours were passed, but that is not enough. People need the supports. The Minister of State needs to come up with a plan. I am not here to criticise him. I am saying there are people who have had the hours passed but who need help and support and it is not coming. I have seen families in recent weeks and people are coming out of hospital without care packages and wrap-around services in place. That needs to be worked on. People should not be let home unless the care packages are in place. People want to go home, we want to support them at home, but we need to put it around them.

Sentiment score: 0.16

I sincerely wish the Minister every success. The elective hospital in Cork is supposed to be ready next year. It is now at design stage and will go to planning next year. It is years behind schedule. We were promised an elective hospital 20 years ago. The Minister is new in her role and I cannot land this on her shoulders, but I can land it on the shoulders of the Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael members who made promises every election year that the new elective hospital would be delivered in Cork. They went missing when the election was over. I will work with the Minister and do everything I can to ensure the new elective hospital in Cork is delivered. The project needs to be fast-tracked. The waiting lists in Cork are absolutely scandalous. The need for this elective hospital and for elective surgeries is absolutely huge. In Sarsfield Court, we have a perfect site of nearly 100 acres on the northside of the city next to Glanmire. I wish the Minister every success but the project must be fast-tacked.

Sentiment score: 0.25