Eamonn Maloney (Dublin South West, Labour)

On the motion, which is essentially about budgeting and criticism of the Government in terms of shortcomings in the health service, one thing people on this side of the House will not be doing is taking master classes from those who previously ran the health service for 14 years. I am speaking in this regard not alone of the Fianna Fáil Party, but of the other parties and hangers on who, in terms of their speeches on this motion, were singing a different tune in their contributions during previous budget debates on health in this House.

It must be acknowledged that we have all been taught a lesson by the previous Administration. During the eight years between 1997 and 2005, Ireland's health budget tripled from €3.7 billion to €11.5 billion. No one can say the previous Government did not spend money on health. However, despite the increase in that short time, in 2006 Ireland ranked 25th among the 26 countries included in the euro health consumer index. There is something very wrong in a Government having spent this huge volume of public money on health services for a population equivalent to that of the greater Manchester area which now has such difficulties. There are legacy issues here.

There has been much talk from all sides about the need for the health system to be reformed. Our health system does not need to be reformed, rather it needs to be revolutionised. Despite all of the spending in this area by the previous Government, in respect of which no one can criticise it because that was the outlook it took, it did not work. As such, money is not the problem. It certainly was not the problem during the eight year period from 1997 to 2005. There are vested interests in health and hospitals but no one has taken them on and that is the reason we have the system we have. As I stated, our health service does not need to be reformed, rather it needs to be revolutionised and the vested interests must be stood up to.

I remind Members on the opposite side that the previous Administration, supported by others, spent more time during its final ten years in office advocating private medicine, private hospitals and tax breaks in that regard and that it was this Government and the current Minister for Health, Deputy Reilly, who ended the advance of the concept of private hospitals. We do not need more private hospitals, but a better public service. The previous Administration advocated the spending of more money in the private medicine-hospital area.

In revolutionising the health system we must first ensure equality. Inequalities and snobbery in education aside, there are many inequalities in our health system. In this country a person with money can get the best health care he or she desires while the person with no money has to join the queues. That is where we are at today. Notwithstanding that, the Opposition has to do what it must do. I am sure we will be faced with a similar motion next week. The Minister for Health, Deputy Reilly, for all of his shortcomings in the past 15 months, has never pretended that our health system would be changed in a year or five years. It will not be. Anyone who thinks otherwise is suffering from self-delusion.

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