The Government has come in for sharp opposition criticism for its management of Covid-19 in the Dáil amid accusations that it had become distracted by seeking a replacement for Phil Hogan.
Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall said the Coalition was beset with internal problems as Fine Gael was "dithering" over the nomination of a new European Commissioner.
She criticised the Government for its handling of the pandemic by not ensuring there were "proper controls at ports and airports"; not ensuring proper data was available and not ensuring there was an "effective testing and tracing system in place".
Referring to an RTÉ Investigates report, she said that resources were being taken away from audiology services and other key services to prop up the testing system.
In response, Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment Eamon Ryan said that last week there were 58,000 tests carried out and 200 contact tracing staff were in place.
On checks at airports, he added there was a balancing act between "lives and livelihoods."
He said the Government is working on a medium-term plan to manage Covid-19 and this is the most important thing the Government has to do.
Sinn Féin has called for an urgent catch-up cancer screening programme to detect illnesses that may have been missed over the past few months.
During Leaders' Questions in the Dáil, Pearse Doherty said there was a massive backlog in the national cancer screening service due to its curtailment by Covid-19.
He said fewer than 100,000 people have been screened this year compared with 500,000 last year.
This could mean more than 450 cancers and 1600 pre-cancer diagnoses may have been missed, according to the Irish Cancer Society.
Minister Ryan said it had to be ensured that the system did not lose sight of preventative measures that save lives and it had to be addressed.
Mr Doherty also raised a report into gynaecology services in Letterkenny University Hospital, where he said women's lives were put at risk and lives were also lost due to practices there.
He said one in three women with endometrial cancer had experienced a delay in diagnosis and ten had since died and asked for an assurance that every recommendation in the report would be reviewed and that an audit would be carried out across the State.
Mr Ryan said he would commit to following up with the Minister for Health on the findings.
Mr Doherty said the issue did not just relate to delay, there was also misdiagnosis and serious flaws at Saolta Hospital Group and Government level.
"Women in Donegal lost their lives as a result of what happened in that hospital."
Mr Ryan said he personally could not commit to implementing the recommendations as it was a matter for the Minister for Health.
The coalition was also criticised for its response to the recent flooding in southwest Cork with Independent TD Michael Collins calling for a compensation package for those affected.
He told the Dáil that there was sheer devastation and people and businesses had suffered massive losses.
In response Minister Ryan said more extreme weather events were a function of climate change and their severity was beyond projection.
He said the Cabinet had passed motions on additional funding and will look at it again, and he said there was a particular issue on insurance.
Mr Collins said he was disappointed to hear there was no clear compensation package and the humanitarian aid coming through the Red Cross was not nearly enough.
