Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Some €1 billion was cut from health spending in 2011 and the Department of Health is referring to an overall reduction of €2 billion up to 2014. This is scary stuff.

The Fine Gael-Labour Government puts the diktats of the troika before the old, the sick and people with disabilities in Irish society. There is no other conclusion. Regularly, the Government points to the troika as a convenient crutch for the cuts with which the former is proceeding. The decision not to proceed with reversing these cuts rests with the Minister. How long will the Government continue to run our public health services into the ground? In tandem with our proposed motion of no confidence, I appeal to the Minister to come back from this point in everyone's interests.

As we are debating a motion in the name of the Fianna Fáil Party Deputies, it is well to point out that there is an Irish troika, namely, the troika of the Fine Gael, Labour and Fianna Fáil parties, which are as one in their support for the futile economic strategy of austerity, the authors of which are present beside me.

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