Taoiseach and Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin is meeting his parliamentary party at a meeting in Cork city, ahead of the return of the Dáil on Wednesday.
For the next two days, Fianna Fáil TDs, Senators and MEPs will consider party policy in the run-up to the new Dáil term.
Today's discussions will be focused on housing, the economy, social protection supports, disability rights and reforming immigration policy.
There will also be consideration of Ireland holding the six-month Presidency of the European Council - beginning next July.
Fianna Fáil's nominee for the presidency, former Dublin GAA football manager Jim Gavin, was due to attend.
Tomorrow, Mr Gavin will join the other presidential candidates on the stump at the National Ploughing Championships in Tullamore, Co Offaly.
Live: Councils meeting to hear from potential presidential candidates
Taoiseach quizzed by mother of child on waiting list
Mr Martin was engaged when he arrived at the meeting by Antoinette Burke, a mother whose daughter Katie Byrne is waiting on surgery for hip dysplasia.
Ms Burke said her daughter is now 18 years old and can't get the treatment she requires in Ireland, and therefore is obliged to travel to Florida for an operation and rehabilitation which will cost €300,000.
She said Katie, who also has cerebral palsy and autism, "has suffered since she was four years old ... and nobody in this country will do anything for her".
Addressing Mr Martin she said: "I can't stand by when you're... going again to talk about healthcare."
Ms Burke added that she raised Katie's case with the Fianna Fáil leader's office as far back as 2010, but had not received a response.
She also contacted the Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill whose office informed her that the minister cannot instruct the HSE on what to do.
Ms Burke asked: "If that is the case, why do you have a Minister for Health?"
Speaking after giving an assurance that he would look into the case, Mr Martin said notes provided to him by Ms Burke on her daughter showed "there's been a lot of interaction with very, very senior consultants in this field, in paediatric surgery, particularly orthopaedic paediatric surgery."
He added it appeared that the doctors "didn't believe that surgery was the right course of action, and they either refused, or took a decision not to do it on clinical grounds".
The Taoiseach said Katie's was a "a very, very difficult" case and he recognised and accepted that mothers and fathers would do anything and everything they possible could to help their children.
Govt will intervene in dezoned land issue - Martin
Mr Martin declared that the Government "will intervene", after Wicklow County Council dezoned land which was earmarked for the construction of up to 3,000 homes.
He said: "I can't comprehend it. We just have a fantastic wastewater treatment plant in Arklow. I can't comprehend how people are dezoning land that is suitable for housing. We are running out of patience."
Mr Martin broadened his critique to other unnamed local authorities: "Government is not happy with chief executive officers of county councils the length and breadth of the country, who seem to be displaying a degree of inertia and lack of proactivity in terms of rezoning land. Never mind dezoning land."
"We have a housing crisis in this country. Some [local authorities] are writing that they're not going to rezone the land at all. Like, there's lots of young people out there are paying excessive prices for housing. We have published national planning framework."
He accused "many councils" of "dragging their feet on this".
The Taoiseach said councils need to respond to the Government's housing policy, saying: "They have to do it."
