James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)

If we are interested in excellence, can the Minister tell me how many breast cancer surgeries have taken place in the Beacon Consultants Clinic, the Blackrock Clinic, the Hermitage Clinic or the Galway Clinic? Is she concerned about the low numbers of surgeries being carried out there when she talks about the public service? It seems that this is an example of spin or smoke and mirrors to allow the Minister to close down public services while she promotes the private area of health. The big question for this country must be that if we have a free secondary care service — free hospitals for everyone in the country — why have 53% of the population chosen to take out health insurance which many of them cannot afford? It is because they have lost faith in the ability of the public service to deliver in a timely fashion. With these recent events, they are losing faith in the actual medical delivery as well. This is a terrible thing to say after all the years during which people could, at least, trust that if they could get into hospital, access the service and get a diagnosis, it would be the right diagnosis.

I call on the Minister to take control of the health service and to instruct the HSE to replace this outdated equipment with digital scanners with immediate effect. People cannot wait for the Minister's nirvana of centres of excellence. We all support the concept but we deeply suspect whether they will ever happen because the Minister has not ring-fenced funding for them. The women of Ireland cannot wait for her centres of excellence. I know there is no culture of resignation in the Minister's Government but I ask her to take responsibility and act now before more women and men are put at risk.

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