151. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Health the way in which she is continuing the transition to regular hospital care being available to patients seven-days-a-week; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48060/26]

This Government recognises that people fall ill seven days a week and must be able to access key healthcare services when they need them.

There is a clear need to expand health services across weekends due to rising demand, demographic shifts and evolving healthcare practices. Providing a seven-day health service for the public is a key commitment in the Programme for Government and a major reform deliverable under the Productivity and Savings Taskforce.

By providing seven-day services in our hospitals, we can improve the patient experience, reduce trolley numbers and enable faster discharges across the healthcare system.

The Public Only Consultant Contract is a central part of this reform. As of June 2026, 3,483 consultants have signed the contract, including 1,266 new entrants and 2,217 consultants who have switched from older contracts. The contract provides the basis for consultant-led care across extended hours Monday to Friday and on Saturdays.

Implementation of extended day and week services has now begun in various forms across the six health regions. In respect of non-consultant staff, a Framework Agreement is in place for extending working hours with trade unions, supporting the broader adoption of extended services.

The focus now is to ensure that this investment translates into consistent, visible improvements in scheduled and unscheduled care delivery for patients. The expanded working week is now possible across the system, and the priority is to ensure that extended-day and weekend services are delivered consistently across hospital sites.