James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)

The Taoiseach and Deputy Ó Caoláin referred earlier to the construction industry. One man's slight downturn is another man's shuddering halt. What has the Taoiseach to say to those who will be left waiting for services as a result of these moves by the HSE? Why have the redundancies promised last year not been delivered? This was a new story yesterday whereas it is a year old. Susie Long had to wait seven months for a colonoscopy but the waiting time has increased to nine months while the number of patients on trolleys has increased by 50% this month compared with this month last year and the people of Navan will be unable to undergo orthopaedic operations for the rest of the year. Procedures are being cancelled all over the country, including in Cappagh and Waterford hospitals. How will the Government maintain services? As the Taoiseach said, the Government promised, under its previous leader, that there would not be cutbacks while the Minister for Health and Children said the cutbacks would not hurt patients. Yet we have this mess.

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