Under proposed legislation, given the severe pressures on accident and emergency departments across the country, in quite a number of them major incident protocols have been put in place, elective operations have been cancelled and the situation is very severe indeed. The Minister for Health indicated on 19 October he expected that the letter of determination regarding the HSE's service plan would be issued from his Department in the week following 19 October and that the HSE would submit its draft plan. When can we expect to see the Health Service Executive's service plan? When will it be available to Members of this House? Rather than just noting it, will the Taoiseach agree to allocate time to debate the health service plan in this House, particularly in the context of a very worrying and worsening situation in accident and emergency departments across the country? It is very difficult on the ground at the moment and we need an urgent debate on it. When will the HSE's service plan be published?

The Deputy will be aware that the HSE submits the proposed plan to the Minister and he has 21 days to consider that, bring it to Government and send it back to the HSE for implementation. It has not yet come to Government for approval. I will confirm the time to the Deputy as to when that process will play out. I have no objection to the matter being debated in the Dáil when the Government signs off on the programme.