Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

In that case, I must speed up. I have seen the health service from both sides because approximately 20 years ago, I was a long-term patient in hospitals and saw the great work that is done on a personal basis. Until the day I die, I will never be able to say enough good things for the people who were with me at that time. Accountability starts both at the bottom and the top and everyone must be accountable, including the Minister for Health. Massive sums of money are being spent on health and if at all possible, to save on the budget, efforts should be made to treat people at home. This is the reason I told the Taoiseach this morning of my horror that the grants available for disabled and elderly people in County Kerry have been slashed from €3.6 million last year to €1.4 million this year, which is a reduction of 50%. This may well lead to people who could have stayed at home on foot of the installation of downstairs bedrooms and bathrooms ending up by taking up room in a community hospital. Good oversight and good governance are important. I also compliment the SouthDoc service on its excellent work in my region, as well as all the other networks that perform similar functions throughout the country.

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