Liam Twomey (Wexford, Fine Gael)

Even today a great number of patients are having neurosurgical, cardiothoracic, orthopaedic and other major operations cancelled. Basic diagnostic procedures, such as colonoscopies for bowel cancer, are being cancelled on an all too regular basis. A report was published in the Sunday Independent on 22 January 2005 which highlighted seven faulty work practices within our hospitals. I am sure the Minister has seen the report. Why did none of these deficiencies in work practices turn up before the benchmarking process was implemented? Why were benchmarking payments awarded to all the professionals in the health service when the seven work-related issues we read about in the report, and which are obviously widely publicised, were not addressed? The Minister will have seen references to them. They have been known to every Member for at least ten years and many of them have been commented on in this House for a number of years.

When commenting on the work practices referred to in the report, the Minister used some very strong language. She was very critical and used phrases including "indefensible" and "highly inefficient". In light of this, why was nothing done about the work practices during the course of the past several years, during which period they were well known? Why did they not turn up when the benchmarking process was being considered? We expect the Minister to give us the answers because, apparently, all the background details on benchmarking have been destroyed and we will therefore not be able to find answers in the records.

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