Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)

I strongly endorse what my colleague, Deputy Halligan, said and thank the Chair for the opportunity to speak on the issue of the health service plan. This is an extremely difficult time for our country and difficult decisions must be made, but leadership is also needed. By leadership, I mean we need a Minister who is not afraid to hit the wealthy and elite in society and deliver health services to people on the ground. We do not need more reports, plans, waffle or spin. What we need is action and sensible investment in our health services. We also need reform. I emphasise the word "sensible", because the Government seems to have lost the run of itself with the measures it is taking to deal with the economy. This has significant import for this debate.

The issues of spending, tax and health are all linked and we should never forget that. Last weekend, for example, the Nobel Laureate, Professor Joseph Stiglitz, asked an important question about the current international economic debt and banking crisis, namely, why taxpayers should have to give up health and education to make good on a private bank. I totally agree with him and see this question as linked to the national service plan before us.

Let us look at the details of the national service plan 2012. It sets out the type and volume of health service and proposes a spend of €13.317 billion and caps then on employment. Cost reductions proposed for 2012 are in the region of €750 million. I accept that we must have reform and that this reform must begin now, but these proposals will have a substantial negative effect on our health service. This is the basic plan, but the position on the ground is much worse. Only today, I was told that an elderly disabled constituent of mine is to have his home help hours cut. His family is in crisis as I speak. This is not good enough. Senior citizens or patients should never have to pay for the actions of the greedy and of those who wrecked this country.

Let us look at proposed capital projects. Value for money is the name of the game in the current climate. For example, the cystic fibrosis unit for St. Vincent's Hospital was to cost approximately €30 million. That cost is now down to between €20 million and €22 million. Will that unit be on target and will the 34 cystic fibrosis beds be available this summer? While this is an important capital project, it is even more important for patients and must be pushed to the limit to achieve it. With regard to hospitals and reform, I agree we must have reforms and change in our health service. We must go back to the basic vision of a universal health care service.

Beaumont Hospital is in my constituency and yesterday I received a number of calls from families of patients who must visit the hospital regularly because members of their families are seriously ill. These people must park at the hospital for many hours and the charges come to a significant amount daily. I urge the Minister to do something for such families. Not only must they suffer because a member of their family is seriously ill, they must pay a significant amount in parking charges.

With regard to finance, the budget provision for 2012 represents a major challenge for us all and comes at a time when the Minister for Health is seeking cuts of €750 million. As I said earlier, this will cause a major crisis in our health service. In the case of services for older persons, the proposed cost reduction required averages 2.3%, but I notice a reduction of 4.5% will be applied to home help hours. However, the Minister says that service efficiencies in this area will mean that despite this reduction, the number of people in receipt of home help will only be reduced by 1.2%. Earlier, I mentioned the negative impact this will have on families.

The allocation in the programme for people with disabilities will reduce by 3.7%. Why are people ringing my office about this and why are people at the frontline telling me that people with disabilities are being asked to take cuts of from 7% to 10%? These cuts will have a negative impact on services for people with disabilities and will mean a reduction in day care places and respite places. Above all, it will impact the emergency situations that arise when elderly parents of people with intellectual disabilities die or when there is some other crisis in the family. I urge the Minister to look seriously at this issue and bring in a serious health service plan.

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