John Perry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)

This is not a victimless situation. We are discussing how taxpayers' money is spent. People are left on hospital trolleys and there are unfinished schools. When the Government spends €1 million or €1 billion, somebody is suffering.

The former Minister for Health and Children has cost the State €500 million since 2001, when he was told about the situation by senior civil servants. The only person who was sacked recently was Michael Kelly. He was the fall-guy and nobody else was sacked. Michael Kelly told the Minister in 2001 that there was an anomaly in the Health Act but the Minister did nothing. That cost the State €500 million——

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