Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

Deputy Martin may quote all he likes and make all the comments he wishes to, but I am prepared to look the people in the eye and tell them the truth of what we found when we took on the responsibility of being in government. I am also prepared to say we stand over our position in changing the health structure, as referred to by Deputy Adams in a question earlier, to provide health services of which the people can be proud. They will be efficient and deliver services which the people expect and pay for and will be of the highest standard. That is patently not the current position, which is why the Minister for Health has set out, on behalf of the Government, to change the structure of the Health Service Executive in order to produce a universal health insurance scheme. That will provide for the ending of the two-tier system and bring about a health system of which we can be proud. That will not happen in the Government's first 120 or 300 days; rather it will take its first period in government to change the structure in the way we want to change it. In the meantime, the legacy left by the Deputy's party, for which he has denied all responsibility, must be dealt with and we will do so. I would like to be able to stand up and indicate that every clinic, service and hospital in the country will continue to engage in service provision because of a change of Government, as if there were no legacy debt or inferior structure to deal with.

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