Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Taoiseach cannot pretend that an expenditure of €147 million will solve the crisis in our health service. These words are not coming from me but from the people working in the services, including in one case - and by the Taoiseach's own acknowledgement - a very learned person. The consultants running the health service say they are dealing with an unsustainable burden caused by poor resources. When resources are not provided, services cannot deliver.

In fairness to the health service, we know that when resources are provided, it does deliver. For the children with congenital heart defects who attend the paediatric unit in Crumlin children's hospital, for example, there is a 95% patient success rate. That particular service is considered to be world class, which is the very least our citizens deserve in all aspects of health care. They do not deserve to have their lives put at risk. They have an entitlement to a wraparound public health services that looks after everyone from cradle to grave. Does the Taoiseach agree that he has failed to provide such a service on because his vision is for a privatised, as opposed to a public, health system?

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