Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

12 o’clock

In response to Deputy Cowen, I am not partisan or petty on this, in that the NTPF was set up by the Fianna Fáil Party in government and the Fianna Fáil Party sought the reinstatement of it. While there have been differing views in my party, I am of the view that it is a useful and effective vehicle, at least in the short term. While people want to have ideological discussions about public versus private, we are increasing significantly the budget in the public health service. However, the capacity is not there in the morning and those waiting at home, including those on the "RTE Investigates" programme, want procedures done as soon as possible. We want them done as soon as possible. The NTPF is a useful and important vehicle in that regard.

The point about investment also was not a partisan one about the Governments in which Deputy Cowen's party participated. Collectively, we have failed to plan for demographics in the way in which we have done good work on school places. The Department of Education and Skills now knows the number of children next year needing a school place and the number of teachers and classrooms that will be needed. We have not undertaken that level of demographic analysis of the health service and that is what needs to be done. That is why the ten-year plan is important.

On nursing, I reiterate what I have said in this House, which is the issue of recruitment and retention of nurses is a key building block if we want to break what I have described as the vicious cycle of overcrowding on hospital waiting lists, bed capacity, recruitment and retention and a GP contract. We have engaged with the INMO and SIPTU on proposals to address recruitment and retention. That includes a fully-funded workforce plan for 2017, giving directors of nursing more power to fill vacancies and trying to improve some of the recruitment campaigns. I do not want to get into all of the detail because the INMO and SIPTU are still, I hope, willing to engage in further discussions with health service management.

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