Liam Twomey (Wexford, Fine Gael)

The Government has forgotten what patients are all about. HIQA has no advocacy process, which is part of our proposed patient safety authority. It has no whistle-blower legislation either. Deputy Fiona O'Malley said that Fine Gael and Labour are unambitious. Having achieved nothing itself, it is saying that our proposals are unambitious. That is rich coming from a Government putting forward points to justify its care of patients, which remain unimplemented or non-existent. She suggests our proposal is unambitious.

Fine Gael and the Labour Party's proposal relating to a patient safety authority is practical, realistic and will ensure the patient is central. When Deputy Fiona O'Malley said this proposal was unambitious the image entered my mind of Marie Antoinette suggesting the poor of Paris should eat cake when told of their hunger. It seems Deputy O'Malley has a similarly poor connection with the people she represents. The Government has completely lost touch with the elderly people it represents. Fianna Fáil Deputies need to wake up because they always claim to represent the poor and oppressed in Irish society, but it seems ten years in power has erased such sentiments. Perhaps they now feel the little people no longer matter and the cost of keeping elderly people is higher than their human value. That is the way the Government is treating them. I am happy to move this motion and I would like to see the Fianna Fáil Deputies come into the House to show how much they disrespect their elderly constituents.

See this speech in context