Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

-----when he denied publicly that he had ever been given any responsibility. The Minister is quite entitled to say he is not happy with the situation he finds in some services that we run and he needs people to be able to accept responsibility for the charges they have been given. It has been a trying time. There was a modest increase in the health budget last year despite the fact that new beds were opened and €70 million extra was allocated but it did not deal completely with the situation in so far as waiting lists were concerned. That is unsatisfactory. Today, however, and over the next few years, it has been possible to allocate €3 billion in respect of hospital and health capital facilities. It is a warning from the Minister for Health that he is not content to have a situation in which year after year a budget is agreed and that, year after year, it is not met. It is not possible to meet it in all circumstances. Many of the services are severely challenged, given what went on in years gone by.

Far from being a cynical exercise, I think it is realistic to expect from any Minister for Health that there is not a bottomless pit of money from the taxpayers to deal with any situation. While the health service is primary in people’s view, with an overrun every year for the past 30 years, perhaps it is time the Minister signalled that he will require that accountability and responsibility be accepted by those who are in those positions.

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