I compliment the management of Tullamore hospital, who have managed demand better than most hospitals in the country and consistently achieve very few people on trolleys. We do that through a number of different ways, including purchasing private beds where necessary. That is part of what every hospital and region does. We need to standardise the cost in relation to that but we do use off-site capacity. I do not know what the Deputy is referring to with regard to black escalation. If it is that we are trying to manage the budget overall because the HSE has hired essentially an additional 2,500 people at the beginning of this year, without a corresponding reduction in agency staff, it may be that. The Dublin and midlands areas are particularly egregious in their agency use instead of hiring for permanent positions. There is no question that the entire Dáil wants to see a reduction in agency use. If that is what the Deputy is referring to, I do not know why it is being referred to in those terms, but it is certainly necessary, and it was told to me in the health committee, that we make sure we reduce agency staff and recruit permanent staff instead. I do not know what else the Deputy referred to.

Sentiment score: 0.12

I have already intervened with the HSE on two fronts. We will be producing a dental-specific plan. It is important to reference what the Deputy said about long waits, particularly for children. A specific intervention programme will last about two years. The Irish Dental Association has been involved with that. Let us not give the speaking points of private representative bodies either. I was at its conference and raised the increase in fees. The fee paid to dentists for medical card patients has been increased by 40% and yet people still do not want to do it. I do have to acknowledge that as part of their conference dentists had two days, one on dentistry and one on aesthetics. I challenged the Irish Dental Association on that and it robustly defended the ability of dentists to do Botox and other things as part of their choice of how they practise. I have to highlight all these different things. Yes, we need to have a new contract anyway. Yes, we need to continue to make sure that we have a structured programme particularly for children. However, it is also true that there is not just dentistry happening and that is reducing capacity particularly in the public system.

Sentiment score: 0.20

No, resourcing is not an issue. First, I want to go and see Clare myself to understand that better, and ask for a plan for the region for the development of services in Clare and Tipperary - Ennis and Nenagh - and not just Limerick. Overwhelmingly the focus in the mid-west has been on Limerick, which I understand. However, proper community care and proper integrated care requires a focus on Nenagh and Ennis as well. I have agreed a chair, who I believe will be excellent. I will meet the patient council this week. I really want its perspectives before I finalise the board. Thereafter we will appoint a board to do that work. That will begin over the summer but it will begin structurally in a very detailed way thereafter. I have a little bit more work to do on that.

Sentiment score: 0.17