Fiona O'Malley (Dún Laoghaire, Progressive Democrats)

——and the courage, and those are what are required to bring about reform. We will bore each other recounting the changes that have taken place since 1997 in terms of resourcing, which has increased from €3 billion to €12 billion and will probably be higher next year. The question of resources is a myth at this stage — there is no question mark about resources. I listened to Deputy Moynihan-Cronin's contribution, her reference to the needy and that it is a question of resources, but I disagree. We would have solved all the problems if that was the case. I do not deny that resources need to be applied in different areas but that is a different matter to the reform that is required first of all.

We have a duty as a Government and as a Parliament to get value for money for our taxpayers. It is only natural that we are looking at what has happened to those additional resources that have been ploughed into the health service in recent times. Professor Drumm has referred to the assumption that all the problems can be solved by more capacity, more resources and more money. I am sorry that Deputy Gilmore will not listen to my final point. The assumption presupposes that the system is not at fault, and the Opposition Members, not to mind the public, are fooling themselves if they do not think the system itself is at fault.

I am pleased that Deputy Gilmore has come back to listen to more because I wanted him to hear that point in particular. If that were the case we would just need bigger and more. Deputy Twomey who is a doctor is more familiar than most of us with the service.

See this speech in context