Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)

I wish to share time with Deputy Gilmore.

I have listened with great care to all that has been said on all sides of the House in the debate tonight and last night. I agree with the Tánaiste that we need considerably more focus and debate on the health services in this House, which I would welcome. I am one of the few Members of this House — the Tánaiste is another — who can truly empathise with the Minister, Deputy Harney. I know the job. The Minister is not accountable or responsible for the actions or failures of each and every employee of the health service, nor do we ask her to be, but she is politically accountable to this House and through us to the people for her political decisions, promises and commitments. The Minister's big project, her big idea, was and is the HSE, and that is not working. Worse than that, it is making patient care worse, not better. That is my honest assessment.

Over 20 years I have dealt with constituency queries on health issues. Even in the poorest of times I never felt less able to address the frustrations of my electorate in dealing with health issues than I do now. Health workers, general practitioners and nurses are contacting my office to express their frustration and exasperation at what is going on. I will give two brief examples from the dozens I could have picked from my clinics in the past few weeks. A three year old child in my constituency has been suffering from severe tonsillitis since November 2006, 12 months ago. He is so bad that antibiotics are no longer effective. The child is constantly distressed, cannot take solids and has been living for months on infant formula at three years of age. He is awaiting an appointment with an ENT consultant.

I contacted the PAD, parliamentary affairs division, of the HSE and the reply I received stated:

I wish to advise you that two referral letters from [the child's] GP, in addition to a referral letter from [a] Consultant Paediatrician was received on behalf of [this child]...

All of the above has been clinically assessed by the Consultant ENT Surgeon who has placed [the child] on the routine list, for an appointment.

I asked further whether that meant the child was on a waiting list for a tonsillectomy or whether having waited for a year he might qualify for the treatment purchase scheme and I received a reply last week staring that the child is on a waiting list to be seen by a consultant. He is on the waiting list to get on the waiting list. He does not qualify for the treatment purchase scheme because he needs to be on the waiting list for three months before qualifying for that scheme.

I will give another example — I said I could pick dozens. A man was in full-time employment until he suffered a painful back injury in September 2006. He attended his GP, but when medication failed to relieve his symptoms his doctor recommended he see an orthopaedic surgeon. He attended an accident and emergency unit in severe pain and was referred to an orthopaedic surgeon. However, he never received an appointment. On being informed that he would wait two years, he decided to see a consultant privately. Not having health insurance he ended up paying €6,700, money he needed to borrow. He has now been told that because he went privately he is not entitled to be treated for pain management in the public service even though the man has a medical card.

So much more could be said. The bottom line is as follows. Every Member of the House has similar tales to tell. Some will argue that Deputies should not be involved in such matters. However, when the doctors are sending their patients directly to our offices, what else do we do?

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