James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)

I support these amendments. I wish to refer to some of the points made by the Minister in response to issues raised on this side of the House. I spoke about individuals who may be away from home, on holiday or business elsewhere in the country, and have to renew their prescriptions. The Minister assures us that pharmacies throughout the State will be linked by computer and that the HSE's primary, community and continuing care directorate will be able to look after everything. The reality is that the HSE cannot even give people their medical cards on time or track where medical cards are at a given moment in time. I have very little faith that it will be able to achieve what the Minister has proposed. The Minister also claims there is no way of indicating on a medical card that a person is homeless. However, the old medical cards could be marked "NFA" to indicated that the holder was of no fixed abode. I am sure that system can be reinstated, particularly if we are to have the slick computer system to which the Minister referred.

The Minister spoke about the new accident and emergency department in Drogheda. The reality is that no matter how good the accident and emergency unit, it will not substantially improve the situation for patients if there are no beds for them once they have been assessed. It will not shorten the time spent waiting on trolleys. The Minister says the Government's expenditure on health is something to be proud of. I certainly agree there was a need for increased expenditure, but where is the reform of the HSE, which is the central component in the wastage of money that is occurring in this country? Why is the Minister not focusing on the great black hole that is administration in the HSE - Professor Drumm himself has acknowledged there are 2,500 to 3,000 people who do not even know what their job is - instead of targeting respite care for people with disabilities, the poor and the chronically ill?

I wish to correct the record in defence of the Brothers of Charity. They spend 4% of their budget on administration while the national spend in the HSE is 5%. The Minister is shaking her head but I saw the report yesterday and it is there in black and white. If she wants to challenge that figure, she should challenge it with the Brothers of Charity themselves.

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