Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will give the example of a group which organised awareness training on suicide for volunteers in youth organisations. They had to cancel a course for 30 people at the weekend in Westport because the HSE people were not allowed to travel. Even though the group was willing to pay their travel expenses they could not proceed. This is what will happen. Tonight Deputies will vote away their credibility to go on local radio stations and threaten early elections because they will vote confidence in the effective way in which the Department of Health budget has been handled.

Yesterday evening, the Minister outlined a large number of achievements in the Department and some of them are really good. Something to which he did not pay much attention is the opening of the GMS scheme so every doctor can have a role in it. This is very important and the old James Reilly would never have done it. It is a good achievement. However, the Minister did not look at the fact that many of the achievements he outlined are being undermined on a daily basis. Where will the waiting lists, which have been trumpeted this evening, be in December? The point Deputy Troy was trying to make was despite the fact that hospitals have made huge efforts, those which were successful, and I include Mayo General Hospital, had their budgets cut even further and they do not receive any credit for the fact they took locally-based decisions. As a result, they are cancelling elective surgery as we speak. People cannot get an appointment to see a consultant to get on a waiting list. If people cannot get on a waiting list it is no wonder the waiting lists are being reduced. I look forward to the Minister coming back in December and giving us an idea of the waiting lists then.

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