James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)

This is where we lose touch with reality. Listening to the answers given so far today one would think all is well with our health service when clearly it is a shambles, as evidenced by this attempt to put in place a virtual service in respect of primary care. The reality is there are very few primary care teams delivering new services to patients. The Minister referred to physiotherapy and speech and language therapy. Practically all of those who qualified as physiotherapists last year are either unemployed, working in McDonalds and in petrol stations or gone abroad.

We are only moving around the cushions on the deckchairs on the Titanic . No new staff are being recruited. No doubt the Minister will be able to point to one or two areas to which new staff have been recruited. How many contracts have been signed this year in respect of the new centres? It is no wonder the Minister can come up hilarious language, such as "commencement of negotiations" given the number of PR gurus working for the HSE and in the Department of Health and Children. We started this process in 2001 and in the middle of 2009 only ten primary care centres have been built. At this rate, it will be the end of the 21st century before all are in place. How many contracts have been signed this year with general practitioners? Does the Minister accept at this rate of progress it will take decades to put in place all the centres, without which we cannot fix the health service? What plans does she have to expedite this process?

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