Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

I move amendment No. 1:

To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following:

"commends the Government's commitment and concentrated effort to reducing waiting times for public patients and:

—notes that some €250 million was being provided to reduce waiting times for patients between 1998 and 2003;

—acknowledges the extensive additional resources which have been provided for acute hospital services since 1997 and notes that over one million patients were treated in acute hospitals in 2003;

—notes the reduction in waiting times and welcomes the substantial progress which has been made in meeting the targets set out in the health strategy, Quality and Fairness — A Health System for You;

—commends the targeted approach being adopted in relation to the long waiters to the extent that 80% of patients now wait less than one year for surgical treatment;

—acknowledges the reduction in cardiac surgery waiting lists where adult waiting lists have fallen by 90% and children's waiting lists have fallen by over 90%;

—welcomes the initiatives taken to reduce the number of inappropriately placed patients in acute hospitals;

—welcomes the initiatives being taken with regard to the staffing of emergency medicine departments;

—acknowledges the investment of €46 million into GP co-ops which provide 24 hour GP availability;

—notes that almost 600 additional acute beds were provided in 2002/2003;

—acknowledges the 41% increase in consultant numbers in the last six years and the 32% increase in the number of nurses; and

—welcomes the achievement of the national treatment purchase fund for arranging treatment for 13,000 patients since July 2002."

Tonight's debate allows me to report on the significant progress that has been achieved on hospital waiting lists. I remind Deputies that waiting lists stood at 23,000 in December 1994 when Labour and Fine Gael assumed control of the health services. In their programmes for Government they spelt out clearly, "We will continue the progress of the past two years in reducing waiting lists." Despite their pledge the waiting lists rose by 27% under the rainbow coalition, from around 23,000 in December 1994 to around 30,000 in June 1997. That was the record of the caring coalition. What was the reaction of the rainbow democratic alternative to this state of affairs? In January 1997, in the face of a 27% rise in waiting lists, they cut the funding on the reduction of waiting lists by 20%.

This Government's programme — from which the Labour Party could learn much — is founded on two key concerns: first, to invest in services and, second, to bring about significant reform. In terms of investment we have made considerable progress since the Labour Party was last in Government. There can be no arguing that this year the Government will invest almost €10.2 billion in health in comparison to a paltry £2.5 billion donated by the rainbow Administration when it was in office.

See this speech in context