A number of Deputies remain but we are out of time. I ask that they use 30 seconds per question.

I warn the Taoiseach that the dental services in Louth and Meath have collapsed and the number of patients helping General Medical Services, GMS, patients has fallen from 61 two years ago to 22 today. Thousands of people cannot get an appointment, their teeth looked after or their oral hygiene checked and worse, there is no option to redirect them anywhere else because there is nowhere for them to go. It is extremely urgent. Only emergency appointments are available to people now. They are being provided by the HSE dental services. The problem is that special needs services and children's services suffer as a result. It is a huge crisis which needs Government intervention now.

I wish everyone a happy St. Brigid's day. I welcome the pandemic bonus payment. However, when will it be made and will the Government commit to including workers in organisations funded under sections 38 and 39 of the Health Act 2004 and those in receipt of carers allowance?

I will return to the Women of Honour. How can the Taoiseach proceed with a so-called independent inquiry where the terms of reference have not been drawn up the Dáil or the women who courageously came forward and made known what they had suffered? They also pointed out that all the previous reviews and policies had utterly failed to protect women and men in the Defence Forces. The Taoiseach will now proceed with an apparently independent inquiry, which it is not, in which the women have said they will not be participating. Does that pose a dilemma for the Taoiseach?

The programme for Government set out the need to expand primary and community care. The Irish College of General Practitioners has proposed that a high-level working group be established within the Department of Health, taking into account the ICGP, the Irish Medical Organisation, IMO, the Irish Medical Council and all of the relevant stakeholders, to develop the expansion of primary healthcare and community care. Will the Taoiseach support the proposal on the establishment of this high-level working group?

Two rounds of discussions have been held with the Irish Dental Association, the most recent of which was on 17 December, when the Department and the HSE outlined provisional proposals to invest additional resources to the scheme, including €10 million provided in the budget, on top of the 2022 Estimate allocation of €56 million. The Department is anxious to move the process on in the interest of patients and hopes to meet the Irish Dental Association shortly to try to progress matters.

Deputy Patricia Ryan raised the issue of when Covid payments would be made. The HSE is operationalising and working on the payment of the recognition payment to the workers.

Deputy Connolly raised the Women of Honour group which I met yesterday. There were other groups of women serving in the Army and in the Defence Forces that met with the Minister, Deputy Coveney, as well as other representative organisations. They may have slightly different perspectives on the independent review that has been announced. I had a relatively lengthy discussion yesterday with the Women of Honour group.

It is independent in the first instance. It is an independent judge with assistance from a senior counsel and also Ms Jane Williams, who has a very good record from a human resource perspective. The discussion ranged over a number of issues. Importantly, if we go back over a number of statutory inquiries that were held, the better ones benefited from scoping work that was done in advance. We have not ruled out a statutory inquiry.

It is important the Minister has an obligation to make sure the current situation is optimal for the protection of Defence Forces personnel right now. This review can come up with valuable recommendations in that regard.

In response to Deputy Colm Burke, I would support the proposal on the establishment of this high-level working group. I will discuss the primary healthcare and community care high-level group with the Minister.