Arthur Spring (Kerry North-West Limerick, Labour)

I thank Deputy Kenny for sharing time. Being the son of a doctor and a nurse, I will not lecture anybody as an expert in medicine, considering I never studied it myself. However, I feel the public health service should be called the public ill health service. The problems arise when people with ill health have to access services that heretofore they did not have to do. I want to take a different slant on this today. I prefer to deal with rehabilitation and also the prevention of ill health in respect of mental health, obesity, the effects of alcohol, as well as the orthodontic waiting lists in the country.

The medical profession builds up tacit knowledge through practical experience, in the same way we do as politicians. One of the good elements of the Croke Park agreement is that the profession is now in a position to bring that knowledge to the table and say that this is how it needs to be reformed. Even though an enormous financial mess was created in the country, good money was spent on health, but it could have been spent a little bit better. Not only are we going to have to do things better, but we are going to have to do them better with less money. I will not get into the intricacies of bonds, as some other people did. There is a deficit and bonds have a minuscule part to play in that. I will not lecture the Acting Chairman on this, whatever about anyone else. The health service is going to have to get more bang for its buck.

The Croke Park agreement allows the stakeholders to arrange an implementation process on what we can do better. One improvement I would like to see is in the use of community hospitals and the ability to rehabilitate people and put them back into their homes where they want to be. We currently have one such hospital in Tralee with 50 beds that needs to be opened. I have spoken to the Minister of State about this on numerous occasions.

It is fairly crazy when health and education are not working together. If we can inform kids on how to keep their weight down and live a healthy and happy lifestyle, that would be a very proactive step. The Department can work on this. The fact that some children are not allowed to run in a school yard is the most bizarre thing to comprehend. It is like putting shackles on children. Medics believe that not only parents but also children do not have the knowledge about this. There is no point in knowing what year Cromwell arrived in Ireland if they cannot look after their health. The education system under the Minister, Deputy Quinn, has the capacity to develop projects that will allow people to develop self help in respect of obesity and mental health.

I noticed a few encouraging things at the Young Scientist exhibition at the RDS. Two Kerry schools - Coláiste na Sceilge and Mount Mercy Tralee - identified that confidence levels among Irish kids were not good and that mental health issues arose as a result. Doctors have told me that if kids are involved in clubs and have interests and hobbies, they are less likely to have social problems, alcohol and drug problems and, more important, mental health problems. The students identified ways of making themselves see potential problems and how to help themselves without needing to go to counsellors and the like.

If one buys a packet of paracetamol, the side effects will be listed. However, if, on a visit to the supermarket to buy a box of cornflakes, one walks past a promotion for alcohol, which is a lethal substance in some cases, one is not informed about its side effects. People need to be given such information from a younger age to enable them to make conscious decisions and live healthier lifestyles.

The Carers Association of Ireland is an integral part of the health service. Carers have looked after members of my family. They perform an onerous task and save the country a fortune. It is important, therefore, that they are protected.

Reform will be introduced and must take account of the knowledge of doctors, consultants, nurses and patients. One of the more enjoyable aspects of my job is being able to respond to members of the public because we have access to the Cabinet and are able to provide Ministers with information on how to make reforms better. I wish we had more money to fix the health service.

See this speech in context