Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)

I move amendment No. 1:

To delete all the words after "Dáil Éireann"and substitute the following:

acknowledges the substantial resources, €14.931 billion, provided by the Exchequer for the HSE to provide health and personal social services;

recognises that this is an increase of over €1.1 billion over the funding provided in 2007;

supports the Government's position in prioritising and providing additional funding of €344 million in the 2008 budget for additional services for older people, people with disabilities and cancer control;

recognises that the number of people employed in the public health service since 1997 has increased by over 64%, from just under 68,000 to 111,505 whole-time equivalent staff in December 2007; and

in particular, by the end of 2007, there were:

3,029 more medical and dental staff, a 61% increase;

9,767 more health and social care professionals, a 164% increase; and

11,660 additional nurses, a 43% increase;

notes that the HSE has been given approval for an additional 1,050 new posts arising from development funding provided by the Government in the budget day package for 2008;

notes that the temporary recruitment pause put in place by the HSE towards the end of 2007 ended on 31 December 2007;

reaffirms the statutory requirement that the Health Service Executive should manage its budget within the Vote approved by Dáil Éireann;

supports the Government's National Disability Strategy;

recognises the substantial additional funding provided for new and enhanced disability services over the past number of years;

acknowledges the Government's multi-annual investment programme for services for people with a disability;

acknowledges the plans to develop the National Rehabilitation Hospital and increase its capacity to treat more patients;

notes that the Department of Health and Children together with the HSE is committed to developing a strategy for the future of rehabilitation services and both parties have agreed to jointly address this area as quickly as possible;

welcomes the additional revenue investment of €7 million since 2006 to support the development of neurosciences (including neurology, neurophysiology and neurosurgery services), acknowledges the increase in the level of consultant manpower on foot of this investment and notes the intention by the HSE in the national service plan to continue the development of these services in 2008;

welcomes the progress being made by the HSE in developing a framework for the future development of services in the neuroscience area;

welcomes the emphasis in the new consultant contract on providing for consultant delivered services through a significant expansion of consultant numbers across all specialties; and

welcomes the increase since 2003 of ten additional consultant neurologist posts and four additional consultant neurophysiologist posts, bringing the total approved complement of posts in these specialties to 24 and seven respectively; the increase since 2006 of two additional approved consultant neurosurgeon posts at Beaumont Hospital and the provision of the necessary funding by the HSE for the creation of a fourth post at Cork University Hospital; the recent advertisement by the HSE for two permanent consultant neurologists at Beaumont and Waterford and for a consultant neurophysiologist at St. James's-Beaumont Hospitals.

I say to Deputy Ó Caoláin, who talks constantly about the shambles in our public health care system, that life expectancy in Ireland between 1999 and 2003 increased by three years, one of the fastest improvements in the world. A child born in Ireland today will live longer than a child born in the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, the United Kingdom or Belgium. That, by any standards, is a measure of the success and improvements that have taken place.

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