Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

It is not correct to say a blind eye is being turned to these matters. The agreement reached in Croke Park last June provides us with the means for redeployment, which is necessary, and all the practices and flexibility we need in order to deal with issues which could achieve efficiencies and savings without affecting patients' quality of care. In terms of skills mixes, ratios of staff, etc., there is a range of detailed industrial relations issues which can be resolved and the motivation and belief exists on all sides to address them in view of the need for a sustainable level of service provision and the fact that budgets are not limitless. All partners in health have acknowledged these matters.

Rather than portraying the situation as incapable of reform or seeking to hold up change, many people in the service are seeking to introduce change on the basis of the agreement negotiated by the Government in Croke Park. This offers us the mechanism by which all these issues can be addressed in a structured and organised way. That is the challenge with which we wish to engage intensively in the coming weeks and months.

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