Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

The people of this country have woken up to another scandalous list of waste, this time in the HSE. It seems as though the culture that has been perpetrated by the party of the Taoiseach over the years has infiltrated every single organisation. It is a case of see no waste, hear no waste, speak no waste, whether it is FÁS, the HSE, Departments or banks. Public Ireland is now divided against private Ireland.

Five years ago, the Taoiseach told us that the last major episode of waste in the HSE, the famous PPARS debacle, would be the last one, and that there would be accountability and transparency. It is ironic that the Minister for Health and Children has actually commended the HSE on finding the rotten apple in the barrel yet again. This is a scandalous situation. There is no accountability and no transparency, and nobody is being brought to book, yet last week we saw a picture of a young man being led away in handcuffs because he could not pay a fine of €200 or thereabouts.

The evidence from medical personnel and those in the Medical Council is that cuts in front line services and cancellation of necessary operations will put lives at risk, with people not being examined for cancers and other serious illnesses. It appears the Government does not give a damn that this litany of obscene waste will continue and that Irish taxpayers will be made to pay for it. Does the Taoiseach believe these cuts are putting people's lives at risk?

See this speech in context