David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I want to make a comment very quickly, if I may, Cathaoirleach, as I have just 30 seconds remaining for me to speak. I have to tell the Minister that I do not have confidence that we are going to see any rapid reforms in Sláintecare and I am not at all comforted by anything that he has said today as to why any of these very good people have resigned. I do not have confidence that we will see any big changes in the next number of years in the big challenges in healthcare such as removing private practice from public hospitals under this Government.

I have talked about the €1.2 billion and the beds that were promised. The Minister talked about 14,700 staff last year where only about 7,500 of those will be recruited. People see promises on the one hand but do not see delivery on the other hand. At the root of all of that, which is why I welcome that there will be a focus on waiting lists, are real people, as the Minister knows. We have talked about such people who are in pain, children with scoliosis and who are one of the 900,000 people. The mind actually boggles at the number of people who are on waiting lists and yet we are not seeing the resources and the capacity go into the system. Even what the Minister says he did and funded last year has not been delivered upon and it is very frustrating.