Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)

They are not massaging the figures. They are accurate verifiable figures and I invite the Deputy to meet representatives of the National Treatment Purchase Fund or invite representatives to come before the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health and Children to discuss the significant progress that has been made. At a meeting with the NTPF last week, I discussed whether a person should remain on a waiting list if he or she refuses an appointment for no good reason. That happens in many instances.

With regard to hospital activity, the key issue is that services are up on the service plan provision for 2009. I agree there are pressure points and major financial pressures, but we cannot give more money to any of the hospitals and they have to live within their budgets. This means hospitals must take whatever steps are necessary to live within that budget.

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