Dara Murphy (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)

I welcome the opportunity to speak this afternoon on the HSE national service plan. As was the case in 2011, this year will once again provide severe challenges to the Minister, his Department and all of the medical and administrative staff working in the health services in our country. By the end of 2012, a total of €2.5 billion will have been taken out of the health budget over the past three years. There will also be a significant reduction in staff numbers over the next few months. It is important to compliment the Government, and this Minister in particular, on the fact that the commitment to a single tier health service based on need rather income remains in place, and more importantly, on target.

This morning in the Dáil, a former Minister for Health and now leader of Fianna Fáil and the Opposition said "I do not care about monitoring".

See this speech in context