The Dáil cross-party committee planning the future of the health system is seeking an extra three months to complete its report.
The committee was due to finish its work early in the new year but now says it will not be able to deliver a report until the end of April.
The delay is a boon for Minister for Health Simon Harris as it puts off the necessity of making immediate but difficult decisions about the long-term future of the health service.
Committee chairwoman Roisín Shortall said it needed more time to report as a result of the “huge” volume of work generated during four months in which expert evidence was given by academics and organisations involved in the sector.
She also blamed time lost during the summer and Christmas recesses, along with delays in the procurement of expert advice, for the requirement to extend the committee’s period of work.
Ms Shortall said many of the submissions emphasised the need to expand capacity in the health service and the importance of early intervention to improve outcomes. Equity in the health system and access to care were also recurring themes.
After Christmas, the committee plans to develop its plans through a series of workshops organised in conjunction with a research team from Trinity College Dublin.
