Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

In fact, they commonly introduced changes that were the polar opposite to best international practice which was cruelly exposed during times of so-called full employment when Ireland still had a jobless household rate higher than the European average. Following the crash, the problem became endemic. To those young people, I say that the issue will remain a priority for Government for the rest of our term in office and I believe that the budget yesterday and the youth guarantee initiatives will help get them started on a rewarding career, which, I am sure, everyone wants to see.

Better supporting younger people to help them find jobs is just one way the Government is helping hard working families on average incomes. This group has suffered much since the beginning of the crisis and deserves support as Ireland begins to recover. We reversed the Fianna Fáil plan to increase income tax by €500 million over two years. We have maintained income tax rates, bands and credits to ensure that work continues to pay for working families. Commuting families will benefit from keeping excise duty for fuels the same, which will also benefit home heating bills. In education, there are no further changes to the student grant scheme and no increase in class sizes. The Government will also provide for the recruitment of over 1,250 new classroom and extra resource teachers and introduce a new book-to-rent programme in primary schools to keep costs down.

To further help working families, we have introduced free GP care for all children under five years of age. Despite the scare-mongering of some Opposition Members who are trying to confuse this measure with other health related policies, the Minister for Health and the Government allocated additional separate funding for the introduction of this key reform following the settlement of the Health Estimate. Every parent will be aware that the early years of family life are very expensive - the high mortgage burden, creche fees where they apply, doctors' visits, etc. Hard working parents of over 240,000 children, who have enough to worry about, will now have the reassurance that they can bring their children to the doctor without having to pay for each appointment.

Working families have also been helped by the decision not to amend child benefit. This announcement is the first step on the path to this radical reform. Free GP care for all is the foundation stone of universal health insurance. I expect the White Paper on universal health insurance to be published later which will provide the direction and guidance on the next steps in the process. Universal health insurance will ensure everyone in Ireland is treated on the basis of his or her medical needs, not on ability to pay for care. This was a core part of the election manifestos of both Fine Gael and the Labour Party in 2011 and we are delivering on that promise. It is part of a much wider reform of the health system designed to achieve more with less and remove the waste and inefficiency that bedevilled the health system for years under Fianna Fáil.

The HSE budget has been reduced by a total of €3.3 billion and staff numbers have been reduced by 11,320 since their peak. During the same period the population has increased significantly, with increased demand for health services. Under the leadership of the Minister for Health, Deputy James Reilly, and despite the difficult financial environment, significant achievements have been made which have a positive impact daily on services provided for patients. Between January and August this year the number of patients waiting on trolleys was down 30% compared with the same period in 2011. This is a very great achievement of the special delivery unit which was personally pioneered by the Minister when in opposition and now in government. Construction of the national children's hospital is on track to commence in early 2015. Significant progress is being made in building primary care capacity and in chronic disease management. The HSE is delivering, on average, one primary care centre a month and 32 new primary care centres have been delivered since May 2011. Consultants will now see, treat and discharge patients 24 hours a day, seven days a week, thus saving the State hundreds of millions of euro. This is an issue which the previous Administration was afraid to tackle.

The biggest reorganisation of hospitals in the history of the State was announced in May. The six new hospital groups will have much greater freedom to run themselves. The future of smaller hospitals has been secured by the establishment of hospital groups. All of this has been pioneered and driven by the Minister, notwithstanding the difficult financial environment.

I recognise the financial challenges facing the health system are greater than ever. In order to protect services for those who need them most in the context of declining budgets and increasing demand, the Minister has set the health service achievable but highly ambitious targets for cost reduction. I know that these reforms cannot happen overnight. It will be a complex and major undertaking that requires careful planning and sequencing which will take time, patience, diligence and determination. It will also take and receive the full support of my own Department, as well as that of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.

In presenting this budget the Government knows that many lives have been blighted by the economic carnage left behind by our predecessors. We appreciate the struggles and hardships so many have endured. The past few years have been painful and challenging and left no family untouched. Each one of us on these benches has heard at first-hand the stories of people desperate to get back to work; young families struggling to pay bills and meet mortgage payments, and those who, unfortunately, have left the country. However, this budget shows we are coming out at the other end of this crisis. While many may not see it in their communities, there is a sense of progress. Stability has returned; confidence is rising; investment is increasing; jobs are being created; and people are moving forward with their lives once again. The future is no longer something to be feared. The people own this recovery. It was their sacrifices that made it happen, that made Ireland stand apart on the world stage as a country that was dealing with and was capable of dealing with its problems and a country which remained a highly attractive place for job creation and commerce. Budget 2014 is another step on this road to recovery. It will deliver back our economic independence and sovereignty after years in an international bailout. It will create more jobs for the people and continue to support hard-working families. I commend it to the House.

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