Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)

We heard the leader of Fine Gael today talk about black Thursday and the economic challenges this country confronts, which are immense, and about the role Fine Gael will play in addressing those challenges. Notwithstanding that fact, at 3.15 p.m. last Friday this motion was submitted in the name of the deputy leader of Fine Gael. The health service at present consumes 133% of all the income tax we raise in this country, which is unique in the developed world. It consumes 27 cent out of every €1 we spend or 11.8% of our national income, which again is very high and much higher than the OECD average or European average, and, given that our population is young, is very high in comparison with those countries that have a young population. In the good years, health spending increased by 8.8%. Notwithstanding all those facts and the need to confront the economic challenges in an honest and real fashion, Fine Gael tabled this motion.

Interestingly, the motion relates to hospitals in ten counties and does not relate to hospitals in Cork, Dublin, Limerick, Kilkenny or Waterford.

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