Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I wish to echo some of Deputy Ó Caoláin's comments on this financial resolution. The health capital budget and the entire capital programme up to 2020 was extremely disappointingvis-à-visthe amount we could spend up to the time of the decision by the Minister and his party to support to the disastrous blanket guarantee for the banks. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael together brought the relevant legislation before this House and left us with billions of debt to repay year in, year out. Therefore, the size of the capital budget is very disappointing.

There are schemes in the constituency the Minister and I represent which require funding. For example, there is a crying need for a new accident and emergency unit at Beaumont Hospital and I understand this matter has been brought to the Minister's attention. There is no indication of provision being made for this new unit in either the budget or the capital programmes. It has been very much placed on the long finger. An approach could have been taken to have a serious State programme to develop the nursing home places that we need. Analogous to the Government's decisions regarding social housing, it continues to leave the vital area of health infrastructure largely in the hands of the private sector. I would have reservations about that.

Specifically, I would like to know the cost of the scheme. We will be dealing with the Finance Bill next week. Previous Finance Acts provided for a range of ongoing tax expenditures which have continued for decades and of which the general public have almost no knowledge. We do not receive detailed information on exactly what will be the impact of this and the other resolutions. That is rather insulting to the House and to us, as representatives. We need more nursing home places, although in the constituency that the Minister and I represent, at least one very large nursing home is about to open shortly and many others are planned. Some people have said that, in light of the current situation, housing is perhaps a greater necessity at present and perhaps these buildings should be utilised to house families. I would like to know the cost of this scheme, the ongoing cost involved and, basically, for the Government to come clean on tax expenditures.

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