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

I think Mattie has spoken favourably of the contrast of civilised behaviour compared with your types of actions and behaviour.

Very serious issues arise in terms of the budgetary position in health from what we can gather and glean. Apart from the action taken by the non-consultant hospital doctors, quite a number of cancellations for surgery have been made between now and the end of the year. Hospitals are telling their staff to cancel surgeries because of inadequate resources, lack of finances and trying to square the circle before the end of the year. We got various estimates starting about a month ago as to the potential degree of overruns in the health service. My primary concern is patient safety and ensuring people get timely operations as planned. Can the Taoiseach confirm to the House whether there will be a need for a Supplementary Estimate for the health area before the end of the year? I remember asking the same question at an earlier period last year and the Taoiseach categorically saying "No" but there turned out to be a very substantial one. I want a straight answer "Yes" or "No" as to whether there will be one this year.

Mention has been made of the Priority Hall scandal. The Taoiseach endeavoured to make a political colour of that issue at times and it did him no favours, the fact that he tended to dress it up in some sort of political commentary about the period and all of that. The reality is there was regulation. Regulation was enforced in other local authorities, and up to some years ago, I can recall a school, having been completed, not being opened because of the width of a corridor. The burning question about Priory Hall is who oversaw what within the local authority and who certified what? Are there any plans to have an inquiry into this to get to the answers as to how fire certificates and a variety of certification that was always required was not produced? It just did not happen.

In that context, there is the pyrite levy Bill, which relates to a range of other residents in different scenarios who are also under huge pressure. I would appreciate it if the Taoiseach could give me an update on the setting up of the pyrite remediation board.

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