Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Taoiseach went into government on the back of what he called "a democratic revolution". Contrary to that, he is now finishing five years of conservative politics with all the hallmarks of Fianna Fáil in office. He has led a Government acting for the elite and completely out of touch with the needs of ordinary citizens. He has arrogant Ministers who refuse to resolve the problems for which they are responsible and there has been a complete failure to fulfil the promises he made to the electorate at the last election.

I refer to the Taoiseach's record on health. In opposition, he promised a new health service and yet in office, he has broken every single one of the pledges he made. His promise of universal health insurance has been broken; his promise to abolish the HSE has been broken; his promise to deliver a more competitive insurance market has been broken; and his promise to reduce hospital waiting lists and accident and emergency department trolley waits has been broken. Just yesterday, the Minister for Health, Deputy Varadkar, announced that yet another promise to provide GP care for all would be reneged on as well. The Taoiseach's refusal to address what was a crisis in the health service has reduced it to chaos and that surely must rank as the defining failure of his term in office, although there have been many failures on housing, delivery for rural Ireland and child care among others.

During the last election campaign, he made promises that he knew he would never honour, all to get into office. I am sure we can expect the same from him over the coming weeks. However, on this, one of his last days in office and on the eve of yet another election, does he not think it would be opportune to apologise for his broken promises, particularly, but not exclusively, his broken promises in respect of the health services?

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