Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

It is not a question of apologising. It is a question of being respectful to each other.

I do not accept his characterisation of the abandonment of this sector. The Government has brought forward legislation in this sector based on resources. There is no point in suggesting we implement all sections of the Disability Act without reference to resources. We have increased much-needed resources in this area, an area which had not been properly accommodated in the past. It will be a continuing challenge for anyone in government for the foreseeable future. We need to examine the service provision. I would never suggest support services behind front-line services are not required but they have to be examined. A multitude of service providers have costs across the board in their own organisations that need to be considered. We must consider how we can bring all that together, similarly to shared services in the public sector, in a way that is more cost-effective. I do not want to be in any way disrespectful of these service providers because many of them filled gaps in the past when the State simply did not have the capacity to provide services at all. Thus, there is a historical issue here. There is an ethos that must be respected but, in addition, people must recognise that change is necessary. We cannot assume the continuation of services as currently delivered while at the same time making a commitment to protect the front line. It is not possible.

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