Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

In his comments yesterday the Taoiseach said priorities had to be decided on, which I accept. However, I note his comment this morning that in this recruitment blockage positions will be allowed to be filled only in very exceptional circumstances. The Taoiseach said that in health and education these were carefully "modulated to ensure key services will be maintained in so far as possible." That is the overall principle on which he appears to be operating. Let me bring to his attention an memo on community care given to me by Deputy Naughten from Roscommon? The reduction in the community care budget is €6.5 million. Will the Taoiseach listen on the impact in human terms of the recruitment embargo? The memo states all posts are gone, even those in valuable front-line services such as nurses. The Taoiseach uses the words "in so far as possible". Respite services for the elderly will not be available. Long stay geriatric hospitals and psychiatric services will see beds removed from the system. Meals on wheels will not be provided for any new clients and may be withdrawn. Only those "actively dying" - the phrase the HSE is using - are to receive home help. What are we at?

At last week's meeting of the Committee of Public Accounts the HSE director for primary, community and continuing care, Ms Laverne McGuinness, said the HSE had planned to employ thousands of allied health professionals to support hundreds of primary care teams in delivering diagnostic services and managing chronic diseases and ailments in the community. However, she said that would not happen now. Instead, most primary care teams will be made up of existing hospital-based staff transferred to community-based centres. The HSE, on Government policy, was to establish 530 primary care teams on 200 sites by 2011. This cannot happen.

How does the Taoiseach's comment that positions in the health area have been modulated in order that key services can be maintained in so far as possible relate to Ms McGuinness's comment at the Committee of Public Accounts last week that these thousands of health care professionals will not be hired? How does it relate to what is happening in Roscommon where, in the HSE's words, only those "actively dying" will receive home help? That is not what the Taoiseach stands for, as far as I can figure out. The sledgehammer the Minister for Finance has used will impact in human terms on thousands of the people concerned. The Taoiseach might like to respond.

See this speech in context