Health service performance figures
Senator Burke highlights favourable March health-service figures, including increased inpatient admissions, outpatient attendance and BreastCheck participation.
The private business sector employs many people in this country and it is important that it get support. I will not comment further on the Aer Lingus takeover.
The figures just announced in respect of medical services and the review for the month of March show that collective inpatient admissions are up by 2% and outpatient attendance by 3.8% ahead of target. For the month of March alone, there were 12,911 attendances at BreastCheck. The target is 140,000 for the year. We are ahead of target and, while it is important that there is criticism where issues arise in the health service, it is also important that where there are good results, they are put in the public domain. We have a good health service. There are difficulties in some areas that need to be improved and we must continue to work towards this. The Minister and the HSE should be thanked for the work being done and it must be recognised that there is positive news in a number of areas.