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

The Taoiseach deliberately under-funded health throughout 2014 and he knew that when he pushed his budget towards the end of 2013. The then Minister, the Minister, Deputy James Reilly, knew it at the time, but the Taoiseach sacrificed him and the Taoiseach probably knew he was going to be sacrificed at some stage during 2014. It was a deliberate policy of neglect and that is why thousands of elderly people were waiting more than 15 weeks for a fair deal bed, and why we had such an extraordinary increase in delayed discharges. The Taoiseach had choices and, above all, he knew about it. The Minister, Deputy Varadkar, knew about it as well because he was told about it in his briefing notes when he became Minister. He was told there would be a crisis if something was not done but nothing was done before Christmas in terms of the fair deal scheme or making additional beds available. The Taoiseach took a calculated political decision that we will fly by the seat of our pants in regard to health and we hope we will get there by the end of the year, but he did not.

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