Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I know the Government feels we should all be aboard the train leaving the station. In its haste, however, it is leaving many people stranded on the platform. Will the Government consider the effects it is having on society?

A key aspect of the budget’s proposals is to rebuild our health services. It is not sufficient to just stand still in the delivery of our health services. Nurses, doctors and other front-line staff are under enormous pressure. The Department of Health projects a deficit in the Health Service Executive, HSE, this year of €500 million and will again need a supplementary Estimate in a month or two. There is no surprise that the 2014 health budget was completely bogus with the agencies in charge of delivering it looking for verification of the figures after they were announced in the Dáil on budget day. In view of this recent experience, we have to be sceptical when presented with another health budget today. Personalities might have changed in the Department but little else has. We want proof the health budget will be able to meet the HSE’s service plan.

I have examined the Minister’s plans in the comprehensive expenditure review since it was released an hour ago. The hole in today’s budget is in the health Estimate. Last year’s health Estimate was €12.7 billion while in 2015 it will be €13.079 billion. The health Estimate for 2016 is €13.253 billion and for 2017, €13.29 billion. That represents a 1.6% increase over three years, 0.5% per annum. How can anyone think the health services can be corrected with a 0.5% increase per annum? It is bad enough the Government did it for this and next year but worse to say it will do it again in 2016 and 2017 if it is re-elected.

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