Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Is that how the Government came up with the figure of 50,000 fewer medical cards? It is little wonder that the head of the HSE recently acknowledged that there is no plan, no money and no vision for the health service. The Government’s stated intention is to maintain existing health service levels. Existing levels means that this morning, 331 citizens are lying on trolleys in accident and emergency departments. The Minister’s proposal, which is now the Government’s policy, envisages continued waiting lists, the capping of fair deal schemes, continued trolley waits and more waiting lists for home help hours and less money. Every day as we sit here, facing Christmas, staff and patients face appalling and chaotic conditions in our hospitals and the Government, the Taoiseach and the Minister for Health refuse to address these. The Government has no plan or vision for the health services and it is making life a misery for tens of thousands of patients and their families. Why does the Government persist in making a mockery of our health services, health workers, patients and their families by refusing to deal with the root cause of the crises in the health service?

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