Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

If the Government can do it with fairness, it can do it by taking the burden off lower and middle-income families. The crux of the strike involving the junior doctors is the issue of patient safety. It is at the core. What the IMO is saying is that there are no sanctions for those hospitals that are not complying. That is what the IMO wants. The Taoiseach is appealing to the IMO to go forward to the Labour Relations Commission and that is fair enough but would he not ask the Minister to intervene directly to ensure juniors doctors work safe hours and patients get the treatment they deserve? It is fair comment to say that Deputy Martin was in breach of the directive but the Government and the Minister are in breach of this directive.

The Government, and the Minister in particular, have a track record of breaking Government commitments. The Minister promised to abolish prescription charges for medical card holders when in opposition. In office, he increased them. He failed to deliver the programme for Government commitment to free GP care for people with long-term illnesses. He has failed thus far to reduce hospital waiting lists. Like Mary Harney and Deputy Martin, he is great at promises but appalling at delivery. Will the Taoiseach instruct or ask the Minister to intervene directly in this junior doctors' strike?

See this speech in context