Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

The Taoiseach did not answer my question on waiting times. The 12 month period was a reinvention by the Minister to cover the fact that the international target of six months was the target set for the National Treatment Purchase Fund and that the vast majority of categories had come within the period of three to six months under its stewardship. What has happened is a con job. The €85 million allocated to the National Treatment Purchase Fund has been subsumed by the special delivery unit which uses it for a variety of purposes. We have gone back to the days when there were perverse incentives and hospitals that did not deliver efficiently and on time were rewarded. The National Treatment Purchase Fund had clear measurable targets and was achieving clear results. Will the Taoiseach reinstate it with its exclusive focus on waiting times because this would mean a better experience for those on surgical waiting lists? That is the key point.

With regard to medical cards, it is not good enough that the Taoiseach will visit the unit to gain a photographic experience. The bottom line is-----

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