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

The point is that last year's health Estimate contained figures which no one had any intention of ever realising. Those figures related to drug pricing, the income from private health insurance - which has disappeared from this year's budget - and agency nursing, in respect of which a 50% cut was proposed. They were included in last year's health Estimate but nothing was done until August when cuts were made in respect of personal assistant services for people in independent living and savage cuts were introduced in the context of home help hours.

Nothing was done until August when there were cuts to the provision for personal assistants, which enables people with disabilities to live independently, and savage cuts to home help hours. These cuts were made because of the fraudulent nature of the health Estimates. That is the reason the Supplementary Estimate is required and there is a need for a debate. I, therefore, ask the Tánaiste to provide the House with an opportunity to have a meaningful debate on the health Estimate, in particular.

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