Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

The value of the Cabinet sub-committee, whether in health or any other area, is to be able to draw the relevant personnel together in order to focus on the decisions that need to be made. The Deputy raised a fundamental and important point. As so many people have left the health service of their own accord because of the redundancy package, I am happy to tell the Deputy this matter was the focus of some discussion. I am also glad to tell him that for the first time I saw real evidence of full flexibility and full co-operation being applied under the Croke Park agreement. It is only fair to thank all those, whether front line staff, in nursing trade unions or clinical and medical teams, who actually looked at the situation and, because there was not an endless pit of money, asked themselves how they would implement and deal with the changes arising from the reduction in personnel. Even though there were predictions of catastrophic situations everywhere in the transition period, each hospital manager and local and regional manager signed off on their contingency plans for normal working weeks and weekends and for dealing with rosters and situations that occur from time to time due to unforeseen circumstances. It is only right to recognise the extent of real application by so many people to make that happen in the context of providing the very best care for patients in hospitals.

If the sub-committee has any value, therefore, it is in being able to draw together the decision makers and, in a strict timeline, focus attention on making the decisions that can bring about a situation where front line care staff and others can apply their exceptional qualities to patients in our hospitals. That is not something for which one can make a decision and then park it. It evolves all the time. In respect of full co-operation and full flexibility, it was a test of the Croke Park agreement and in that regard staff and everybody concerned measured up to the challenge in a very strong fashion.

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