John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the debate on the dysfunctional health service which cracked again in early January with the unprecedented high numbers on trolleys and the cancellation of elective surgery and other knock-on effects. I commend Deputy Reilly for tabling the motion at this time because it was slipping off the radar of the Government or it hoped it would go away. The Government was involved with the internal war in the Fianna Fáil Party and sending weekly reports to the EMU and the IMF.

The problem did not go away for the 569 people who were lying on trolleys who had no prospect of getting a bed because of all the ward closures and front line cutbacks, all of which resulted from slashed budgets and wastage. I will illustrate a couple of quick examples of wastage. A couple of month ago I received figures from the HSE indicating approximately €100 million had been spent on agency staff. The process that led to that was the ending of temporary contracts for nurses who were then subsequently re-employed through agencies with a 36% charge on top. Mayo General Hospital was one of the more efficient hospitals in the country in 2010. It came close to budget, yet my information is that a further cut of €10 million will be sought between the hospital and community health services in 2011. Mental health services in County Mayo have been decimated. In the past 18 months to two years 80 mental health nurses who have retired have not been replaced. By 2015 student nurses will be asked to give a year's free labour to hospitals. They will not be paid but will be counted in the staff allocation. It is not slave labour but free labour.

The enormity and timing of the VHI increases, the targeting of our elderly and the response by the Minister beggars belief. I could not believe it when I came in here this evening and read the amendment set down by the Minister. It refers to ensuring that all patients are assessed, treated and discharged or admitted within six hours. Often, we hear of reality and spin. The relevant words that refer to the policy of the Government are "to pursue the targets". Although the Minister may pursue a target of admitting patients straightaway, she could be pursuing it for the next 100 years. The amendment referred to an acute medicine programme which would have a senior medical doctor seeing a patient within one hour. That is simply not taking place. There has been a difficulty in recent years with the Government not holding up its hands, yet it has put out such an amendment. It is unbelievable.

I support Deputy Reilly's call for the VHI price hikes to be postponed immediately. The Minister of State, Deputy Dara Calleary, was on local radio in Mayo and called on the VHI to postpone them. I am sure he has been in contact with the Minister's office in this regard. I call for a response from the Minister. Will the Minister call on the VHI to postpone the increases, especially since all the people concerned have been hit with the increased levies and charges in the past two weeks? It is not good enough. I commend the motion to the House.

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