Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

Far from being a litany of failure, it is dealing with the truth. The Minister for Health has the responsibility for dealing with this situation. As Deputy Adams well knows, the health structure in our country works exceptionally well on one hand and in other areas, significant blockages are created at the level of admission to the system for treatment by professional staff. This is the problem which the Minister has to deal with. Far from allowing failure to continue, he is looking at the reality of what can be done to deal with this problem. I reject Deputy Adams's attempt to portray this situation as a continuation of the status quo that applied before. When we get down to the business of examining the element of waste in the health service, the requirement for efficiency and competency in the management of our hospitals, and in providing facilities for trained professional staff at the front line to do their job in the interests of patients, that is not a litany a failure rather an examination of a political responsibility and an attempt to deal with the truth of what we face. If the Deputy wishes to take a different line, he may do so.

He may then go off to Europe with his comments in respect of the euro crisis. There will be a debate in the House next week and I expect the Deputy, as the leader of his party, to spell out credible alternatives and an economic policy that is not based on fantasy-----

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