People are being encouraged to get out of the house this weekend, but in the midst of a pandemic, to use common sense when it comes to their interactions with others.

The Minister for Health, Simon Harris, has hit back at claims he has no plan to deal with “outrageous” levels of patient overcrowding at University Hospital Limerick (UHL).

Mental Health Spokesperson for Fianna Fáil James Browne says the lack of permanent psychiatrists is restricting timely access to much needed services for patients:

The Minister for Health Simon Harris has confirmed the biggest restructuring of the HSE since it was founded 15 years ago.

The Minister for Health, Simon Harris, is set to bring proposals to Cabinet on Wednesday.

The Minister for Health is promising exclusion zones outside hospitals will be a "major priority" when the Dáil returns from its break in September.

The Minister for Health has signed legislation which will allow for the operation of the Medical Cannabis Access Programme on a pilot basis for five years.

Ruth Morrissey's solicitor Cian O'Carroll said today that they still haven't been told directly that the State Claims Agency is to appeal the High Court judgment in Ms Morrissey's case.

More than half a million people are waiting for their first hospital out-patient appointment.

The new appointees are Brendan Lenihan, with expertise in financial planning and management, and Fergus O’Kelly, Clinical Professor in general practice and family medicine.

The Minister for Health has told an Oireachtas committee that he is willing to do whatever it takes to strengthen the governance of the National Children's Hospital.

The Government and Health Minister Simon Harris came under severe attack in the Dáil over fresh delays in cervical tests for women who had to be retested.

One of the country's leading HPV vaccine campaigners Laura Brennan has died at the age of 26.

The Minister for Health Simon Harris has said that re-tendering the contract for the National Children's Hospital was not an option.

Nurses and midwives will go on strike on January 30 for 24 hours.

The Minister for Health says he's open to meeting with INMO officials in a bid to prevent nurses taking industrial action over recruitment and retention issues.

Your lunchtime headlines.

Health Minister Simon Harris has welcomed a statement from the new President of the Medical Council about the positive impact of cancer screening programmes.

The Minister for Health has signed two sets of regulations aimed at protecting the public who use the services of Dietitians and Speech and Language Therapists.

Women and families affected by the cervical cancer scandal have to borrow money and rely on “the good faith of solicitors” to fight for access to medical records as supports promised by the Government have not yet materialised.

Who will appoint the next CEO of the HSE? To whom will that person report? What will be different?

Update 6.24pm: A total of €5m of funding is to given to the HSE to speed up the discharge of patients.

Latest: The Minister for Health, Simon Harris, has criticised the failure of some hospital consultants to comply with their contracts.

The Minister for Health says more scoliosis surgeries have been carried out in Temple Street and Our Lady's children's hospitals already this year than for the whole of last year.

The Minister for Health must urgently devise an “administrative solution” to a serious problem confronting the commission investigating the treatment of the intellectually disabled woman known as Grace, Commission lawyers have told the High Court.

Good afternoon. Here’s all the news you need to know this lunchtime.

The Department of Health has told Cork mother Vera Twomey it would be "wholly inappropriate" for the Minister for Health Simon Harris to instruct a doctor on medical treatment for her daughter Ava.

Here's your lunchtime bulletin.

Every parent who loses a baby will get the support they need, said the Minister for Health Simon Harris.

The Minister for Health has agreed to extend automatic medical cards to all children where families are in receipt of domiciliary care allowance.

The Minister for Health Simon Harris says the trolley crisis is not just the problem of our hospitals.

The Minister for Health Leo Varadkar has said he is personally "ashamed" at the treatment of grieving mothers at the Midlands Regional Hospital in Portlaoise.

The Minister for Health says dozens of people found guilty of drugs offences could now have their convictions overturned.

The Minister for Health, Leo Varadkar, said the case of an elderly man whose relatives say was treated poorly by the health service is very upsetting.

The Minister for Health, Leo Varadkar, said he wants to reduce the number of people waiting on trolleys to an average of 70 a day.

The Minister for Health Leo Vardkar has said the new Children's Hospital will not be fully operational until 2020.

The Minister for Health denies there has been any attempt to conceal information about waiting times for hospital diagnostics, after media reports this weekend.

The Minister for Health has said his department is working on a framework to tackle minimum pricing for alcohol.

The Minister for Health has said the lives of Irish women are being put at risk because of Ireland's laws on terminations.

The Minister for Health says women's lives are put at risk because of Ireland's laws on abortion.

Three in ten doctors reported being bullied or undermined while they were in training, according to a new survey from the Irish Medical Council.

The Minister for Health, Leo Varadkar, said he doesn't believe Gerry Adams' claims that he has no knowledge of Republican sex abusers being moved from the North to the Republic.

The Minister for Health Leo Varadkar has confirmed there are no plans to set up Ebola screening at Irish airports just yet.

The Minister for Health Leo Varadkar has denied there is a communications problem between the Taoiseach and his Ministers.