Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)

On a day when the Government can find an estimated €400 billion to €500 billion to guarantee the banks their money will be safe, I must question whether the Minister for Health and Children can guarantee in any way that vulnerable patients will be protected from health cuts, service cuts and increased charges. I find it extraordinary that the Minister is standing by — she said she has been advised of measures and that she is having ongoing information meetings.

Has the Minister been told increases in charges may be introduced before the end of the year? It has certainly been suggested to me that increases may be proposed to hospital charges and other charges, as well as new charges for people using the health services. Has the Minister been told that, as part of the proposals to reach the figure of €300 million, there are suggestions of cutbacks to home care packages and home help, as well as an increase in waiting lists because of reductions in services in the hospitals, and a variety of other proposals that will directly affect patients?

Can the Minister do something specific about this? If she feels the proposals with regard to both charges and cuts are unacceptable, can she take action to protect the public good and protect vulnerable patients from the effect of these reductions? In these circumstances, why did the Minister and her Department accept the biggest cut of all in the cutbacks announced earlier in the summer for various Departments?

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