Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

The Taoiseach seems to think that things are fine in the health service. Yesterday there were 390 people on trolleys in accident and emergency units. That is just ten less than the number who were on trolleys on the day that the Minister, Deputy Harney, announced an emergency in accident and emergency in 2006.

On Wednesday last, the HSE published a service plan which stated that there would be €500 million cut from the health services and yesterday it emerged that the figure is now closer to €1 billion. There are 500 beds already gone out of the health service and it is proposed to remove another 600, that is, 1,100 beds. It costs €200,000 to provide a bed, in other words, €220 million that has already been spent in providing hospital beds will not be used under this plan.

We are faced with a situation this morning where the Taoiseach or his deputy will come in here tomorrow morning to propose that Dáil Éireann be suspended for six weeks — that we go out of business for six weeks — at a time when the country is facing its worst economic crisis, when our banks are in crisis and at a time when Ministers, including the Minister for Health and Children, are seeking additional cuts in services. This country needs a Government and leadership. It needs people who have got a handle on the problems that are facing the country and the people. It does not have that.

What we have——

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