Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)

At local level, people are making decisions about the lives of others yet they are not accountable to anybody in any democratic sense. That is the record of the Minister for Health and Children appointed by the Taoiseach. Old folks in nursing homes, waiting for the money which was robbed from them, are told they will have to wait until next year, despite previously being told they would get it this autumn. Despite all the urgency expressed with regard to the Leas Cross issue, when the Taoiseach and Tánaiste were going to do the devil and all, what has happened? Nothing has happened. The legislation is not in place to deal with the central issues in the health service.

When will the Taoiseach get his act together? When will the Government stop squandering money and appoint somebody who can do the job to the position of Minister for Health and Children?

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