Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We oppose these motions on the basis that they relate to three Supplementary Estimates, one of €685 million for the Department of Social Protection, another of €360 million for the Health Service Executive, and a third of €1 million for the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government. We have serious issues with the Supplementary Estimate for the HSE. Last year, a fraudulent Estimate was introduced in the House which bore no relation to reality and has led to extraordinary difficulties within the health service. Given the fundamentally flawed nature of last year's Health Service Executive Estimate, we need a plenary debate on this Supplementary Estimate.

There have been savage cutbacks in home help hours in recent months because of the absence of a Supplementary Estimate coming through and because of the absence of a proper HSE Estimate in the beginning. People with disabilities were hit very hard as a result of the flawed nature of the Estimate. Personal assistants were taken from people who wanted to live independent lives, and many people had access to hospital and medical facilities delayed. During the week, I met nurses at the opening of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation centre in Cork. They told me they cannot advocate or articulate on behalf of patients who are at risk because of the HSE Estimate and the failure to provide adequate funding. They are gagged.

There is a request for a Supplementary Estimate of €360 million. Given the flawed nature of the Estimate given to the House last November, there is a need for a plenary discussion before the Estimate is referred to the sub-committee.

The Taoiseach denied vehemently to me some months ago on Leaders' Questions that there would be any Supplementary Estimate for the Department of Health. We have consistently raised the failure of the Minister in terms of his commitment on health insurers, that he would find more funding from pricing and that he would get €100 million from agency staff. None of that happened and that is why we oppose the motion as presented.

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