Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)

Perhaps seven or eight minutes. We must bear in mind that every party in this House contributed to the state of the health services today. That applies even to the Minister of State's party. Since the foundation of the State, successive Governments neglected the health infrastructure, in both physical and human resources, and the patient suffered. It is a little rich to come into the Chamber and engage in a blame game, pointing the finger at Fianna Fáil. The Government has been in office for 12 months and it is trying to shirk its responsibility. It has not yet got into the groove of accepting responsibility but the clock will tick and eventually the penny will drop.

It is ironic that the Government questions our mandate in regard to our right as democratically elected people to table a motion and have issues which concern the public addressed and debated in this House. That is not ignorance; it is arrogance. It did not take the Government parties long to become arrogant.

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