Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is not agreed. My party's whip has e-mailed the Business Committee to express our view that in light of the revelations in last night's "RTE Investigates" programme, we require an opportunity to have a fuller and more comprehensive debate about the capacity of the health service in the context of this year's health service plan to meet the needs that clearly arise. I refer in particular to the need to deliver operations and surgeries on a timely basis to young children with scoliosis and people with gynaecological conditions who have been waiting for far too long. It was revealed in last night's programme that this is happening across the board. It would be very useful for all Deputies to be able to participate in a fuller and more comprehensive debate. Many Deputies on all sides of the House have come across different priority cases in their own areas and in hospitals in their own constituencies and geographic regions. It is important for the Dáil to be flexible and adaptable. We should have the capacity to respond to issues of genuine and urgent public concern. In the aftermath of last night's programme, there is no doubt that people want precise answers that set out what will happen in 2017 to ensure the kinds of harrowing experiences that were revealed by patients during the programme are brought to an end. These issues need to be prioritised and dealt with adequately. We need to be reassured that the 2017 health service plan gives the Government and the HSE the capacity to do just that. The commitments we were given in the past in relation to some of the areas that were highlighted last night did not come to pass and were not realised.

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