Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

While I welcome the recognition of the need for greater flexibility, the need in the first instance must be to be able to meet unexpected or sudden increases in demand. Social welfare is the critical example of this at this point. We do not have sufficient flexibility or adaptability in terms of the numbers presenting and the chaos that has unfolded as a result. This issue has to be addressed.

In the context of the real fear that we are looking at the possibility of significant redundancies across the public service and the curtailment of numbers in the provision of public services, does the Taoiseach not accept that such a scenario would not bring about reform but would result in a curtailment of current service provision and a potential deterioration in the level of service into the future? Will he note my particular concern about the decision by the Health Service Executive to place an embargo on recruitment, both in terms of temporary post provision and replacement in a number of areas, including locum posts and people on contract employment? The Taoiseach will have noted the pronouncement on these matters made by the trade union, IMPACT, last Tuesday in which it indicated that there has been a serious deterioration in service provision across the health service as a result of the HSE announcements. Will he not accept that what the HSE has indicated will lead to a further deterioration in an already stretched health service and that what we will end up with is not better public services but greater fear of the failure of those services where our health is concerned?

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