Séamus Healy (Tipperary South, Independent)

I thank Deputy Deenihan for sharing his time with me. As somebody who has worked at the coalface of the health services for 20 years I was angered by some of today's contributions, particularly that of the Minister of State, Deputy Tim O'Malley, who blamed everybody — doctors, nurses, support staff, paramedics, clerical staff — for the mess the health service is in. The majority, if not all, health service workers go beyond the call of duty on a daily basis throughout the year and without the goodwill of those staff we would be in a worse situation than we are today. Although the Minister said it was not a question of resources it is time to call a spade a spade.

The crisis in the health service is the responsibility of this Government and the first Fianna Fáil-Progressive Democrats Government, which took 2,000 beds out of the system in the mid-1980s to late 1980s. That decision, which we in the health service fought, was the beginning of the crisis in the health service. There is no doubt that the pressure on accident and emergency services began with the withdrawal of those beds and it is important that they are returned to the system immediately. We lost 50 beds in St. Vincent's Hospital in south Tipperary and that created a serious problem there.

Ten years ago, I was a member of a hospital executive committee that recommended that an acute medical unit be put in place in south Tipperary and that it should be copied throughout the country. Ten years later, there is no unit. We hear talk about such units, but ten years later is too late. Those services should have been put in place long ago.

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