Pádraic McCormack (Galway West, Fine Gael)

How can the Government allow this when it permits top executives of the Health Service Executive management pay themselves large bonuses in addition to their extraordinary salaries. For example, the chief executive of the HSE has a annual salary of €380,000 and was paid a bonus of €80,000. Why is there a need for the HSE to pay public relations consultants and senior executives tens of thousands in fees and bonuses? In figures released last year, a close associate of the HSE chief executive was paid €1,367 a day while others were paid €724 per day for work outside their contract. In 2007, 111 senior executive staff in the HSE were paid more than €1.2 million in bonuses, which is an average of more than €11,000 each. At the same time, the Government has allowed those banking executives who stood down to walk away while awarding themselves extraordinary bonuses, golden handshakes and generous pensions.

This is what makes it so hard for hard-pressed parents of disadvantaged children to accept or understand the cutbacks at school level and in other services. On the doors while canvassing and in our offices, Members are being confronted by examples of the suffering, hardship and anxiety unfolding daily on parents of the disadvantaged. Parents are so frustrated and annoyed that they naturally are confronting politicians of all parties given the situation in which they find themselves. Fine Gael canvassers at such doors must be patient while explaining to the frustrated parents and carers that this Fianna Fáil- Progressive Democrats coalition, supported by some Independent Members, has caused this hardship.

While canvassing at the weekend, I met a home-working mother of five who has a mentally disadvantaged young adult who attends a training centre and whose case illustrated for me the effects of the cutbacks and the hidden costs therein. When her daughter receives respite care periodically, the hidden costs of outings or other activities, such as swimming, yoga or similar activities, arise. These parents can never go out together because a baby-sitter is not practical. However, although they wish to look after their disadvantaged daughter in their own home, the only thanks they get from the Government are these cruel cutbacks. How can I explain the large bonuses received by the HSE executive staff to the woman who came into my office recently in tears because her 24-year-old son, who attends a day care centre, lost the weekly subvention of €20 that he had received for his work there? How can I explain that? It would take that person eight years to earn what a HSE employee earns in one week. This is where the cruel cutbacks are taking effect on the real hardship being experienced by parents of disadvantaged children in the home. The Minister should cop himself on. The people will have an opportunity to redress this and give the Government a message on 5 June. I advise people to take this opportunity and start the process of getting rid of this uncaring Government.

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