Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Minister stated that his overriding priority is patient safety and yet from my reading of the correspondence from the four CEOs, that is also their overriding priority but there seems to be such a gulf between the Minister's and their position. The Minister falls back on the unpublished national service plan 2014 and yet the CEOs are clearly indicating that the situation, which they seek to be addressed, is current and is a consequence of the collective impact of a succession of five budgets that have seen €206 million removed from their spending capacity. They stated that this short-sighted and random application of budgetary reductions is clearly likely to seriously damage the foundation of the system. That has to be of concern to each and every one of us.

The CEOs are saying the cuts imposed by the Minister and the Government, coupled with demands for fewer staff while at the same time insisting on shorter waiting lists, is totally unsustainable. The Minister must have a better answer than what he just gave. It is not a pig in a poke situation. We cannot wait for the next national service plan and whatever further cuts it might outline for these hospitals.

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