Ten thousand people will march on the streets of Navan on 30 October in support of our accident and emergency department. The HSE is determined to close it. While there has been a stay of execution for a few months, this is not good enough for the 210,000 people who live in County Meath. Accident and emergency and ICU departments are the front line in the battle against Covid, yet the Government is closing accident and emergency and ICU departments in Navan. Waits of ten or 11 hours are not unusual in Drogheda's accident and emergency department and the staff of Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown protested because of conditions in their accident and emergency department just last week. Will the Minister commit to overturning the Government policy to close the accident and emergency department in Navan? Will he commit to the proper funding of the accident and emergency department in order that people can get timely treatment when it is needed?

There is a crisis in the Irish dental industry and access to dentistry. We are seeing it most acutely in the exodus from the DTSS but the reasons for it go much deeper and are much more fundamental. The Minister said he is committed to reviewing the scheme but there is no real evidence of this, despite saying that work began in 2019. When will the Government start taking this seriously? It is very important. Many people do not have access to dental services. When will the scheme to update the Dentists Act 1985 be ready?

In regard to Our Lady's Hospital, Navan, my understanding is that the HSE is clear on the transition of Navan to what it calls a model 2 hospital. The policy approach is based on very good medical and scientific advice.

It involves major expansion. I understand from the figures I am provided that capital works are under way this year to bring a second theatre into operation as part of the increasing of ambulatory and day care surgery capacity at Navan hospital from approximately 2,500 elective surgical procedures to 5,000.

The Minister should not listen to the people who tell him that. The policy is dangerous.

Every medic to whom I talk says that when there is specialisation, volume is got through and hospitals are designed in order that they have real expertise, there are real benefits and-----

There is no alternative pathway.

Let the Minister respond.

The argument made by the health system - we have to charge the HSE with the optimising of the forms of hospital we have - is that this model 2, and I think Navan hospital is the last of nine hospitals which have been transferred and changed in this way-----

Those decisions have been disasters.

I believe that getting that next tier down of hospitals is critical to getting them expanded and getting them doing more work. That is, I understand, what will happen in Navan, subject to medical advice.

Lastly, I do not have the details Deputy Duncan Smith is looking for but I will ask the officials to provide them in order that he has that information.