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

When it comes to a Supplementary Estimate, Fianna Fáil and I will always support the Government where it will improve the health service. We will oppose the Government completely if the Supplementary Estimate is a cover-up for a flawed Estimate that was introduced in the first place. With most of what the Government introduced last year, we told the Minister on budget day that the Estimate was flawed. The HSE and the Minister for Health stated it was a flawed Estimate. The Minister believes we should applaud him when he corrects his flawed Estimate but we will not do so. I will support the Minister with a Supplementary Estimate to improve the health services.

In regard to the €2.2 billion for housing, the biggest announcement in the budget last year, much of that is by way of public private partnerships in the private sector, none of which has been put in place. Every time I hear the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Alan Kelly, speak on the issue that €2.2 billion moves from 2020 to 2021 to 2022. I do not know where it will end. That promise of €2.2 billion will not even end in the lifetime of the next Government.

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