Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

I also accept that Dr. O'Shea was one of the people who was seeking another microbiologist. I do not want to use his name in a partial way. That was his view and I accept what the man said. However, the idea that we can improve the service without the structural changes required, including reform of the consultants' contract, is known by everybody to be impossible. Such a change is the only way in which we can move from where we are to where we want to go. The fact is there are 120 consultants who can now be appointed as a result of the new arrangements and the issue that Deputy Gilmore correctly raises, both as a constituency TD and as a party leader, can better be addressed on the basis of the reforms we have introduced in the interests of trying to move this situation along.

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