Darragh O'Brien (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

This is the third year in a row that this situation has arisen. When the Minister was Opposition health spokesperson for Fine Gael, the only thing one would have thought was wrong with the health service was the fact that he was not in charge of it. It is patently obvious now that one of the main problems with our health service is the fact that the Minister, Deputy Reilly, is in charge of the Department of Health. The Minister has questions to answer specifically concerning services for children and young adults with severe physical and mental disabilities.

I am tabling an amendment to the Order of Business requesting the Minister for Health to attend the House to make a statement on the cuts to those services for children and young adults which were announced by his Department back in August and which were backdated to July. It was said that he would make a public statement - which he has not bothered to do - during the summer recess. Now that we are back, the Seanad will afford him an opportunity to do so. My party will afford him an opportunity to attend the House for one hour to explain why he feels it is appropriate that children and young adults should suffer because of his mismanagement of the Department of Health.