Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

-----are up for discussion, and those service providers will have to try to find ways of dealing with these issues while protecting the front line, as other providers have done by implementing the efficiencies that were asked for. It is a question of everybody facing up to the challenge. There are a number of substantive issues that can be discussed with them, including savings in areas such as human resources, which are not on the front line but which need to be streamlined. There is potential in these discussions to find a constructive outcome. There is no monopoly on virtue. We all want to see front line services protected, particularly for people such as this.

I am entitled to say in my defence that I am proud of the resources I made available when I had responsibility in this area, as Minister for Health and Children and Minister for Finance. This is recognised by the sector and was based on a planned partnership approach with those service providers. There would still be dissenting voices coming from the far side no matter what I said about this issue.

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