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

The Taoiseach said that the situation is not "satisfactory". That is a mild word given the content of letter from the specialist registrar and the experience of people attending emergency departments. The Minister for Health told the Joint Committee on Health and Children last week that additional resources are needed for the fair deal scheme. He outlined two realistic options, namely, reprioritising spending or bringing forward a spending plan later this year. He also outlined a third, pretending the problem will go away in the summer, which he indicated is not really an option. The latter is a total nonsense which few people believe. This is the same man who three months ago said he had a realistic budget and expressed the hope that matters would become more manageable in October, particularly for those working at the front line. How naive was he last October? The bottom line is that matters have not become more manageable; they have become worse, as the Minister himself has acknowledged. Yesterday he agreed it is undeniable that the system is struggling. The Taoiseach can sort this out.

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