Aviation agreement, migration and Navan
The Minister defended the EU aviation agreement, saying connectivity matters for an island nation. He also replied to concerns on inward migration and then began addressing the Navan hospital issue, saying the Government was acting on those clinical concerns.
Deputy Bríd Smith raised the issue of the EU aviation agreements. I again underline the importance of international connectivity for us, as an island nation, from tourism and trade points of view. I hope the House will agree with the motion that has been placed before it.
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What about the importance of dealing with the climate catastrophe that we are facing?
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I assure Deputy Mattie McGrath that the Government is working very hard on all strands relating to inward migration, people fleeing the war in Ukraine and those seeking international protection. There will be a further Cabinet committee on that issue on Monday of next week. We have an obligation to fulfil our international responsibilities and we will continue to do that.
On the issue raised by Deputy Tóibín, it is important again to put on the record, while recognising the real clinical concerns raised by the HSE, that the Minister for Health has made it clear that several important issues, including additional capacity in other hospitals impacted and the continued ability of people in the Navan area to access emergency and urgent care, need to be fully addressed before any proposed transition by the HSE. We must look at and learn from our experience in reconfiguring other hospitals. The Minister is also opposed to a full ambulance bypass protocol.
Deputy Shortall also raised the issue of the Patient Safety (Notifiable Patient Safety Incidents) Bill.