Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I think what I said in Davos, and the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, said it as well, was that our economic recovery was complete and that we were now expanding again as an economy, but that is not to say that our society has healed. We know the consequences of the lost decade - ten years in which virtually no houses were built, and ten years in which there was inadequate investment in the capital side of health care if not the current side. We are still trying to heal the society that was so damaged by that ten-year crisis, which was not caused by anyone on this side of the House.

I agree with Deputy Harty's fundamental comment. Fundamentally, the question is about reform. If we keep adding staff and adding resources, we will keep getting the same results, which are not good results. I do not agree that there is a lack of ambition or a lack of interest, but I accept that we are only going to be able to prove the Deputy wrong through results. I do not expect anyone to believe us until we start producing some real results.

On Sláintecare, I think we need to be realistic. It is an all-party committee report. It is a very good report. On the Deputy's advice, I have read it three or four times. It sets out what I think is a common vision that everyone shares in this House, for example, a commitment to public health, moving more of our health service into primary and community care, and separating or at least examining the separation of public and private practice. However, it is not true to say it is a comprehensive reform action plan or implementation plan for our health service. It is not that. The costings are evidently not correct and we need to get them done again. The report is silent on where the money should come from. It lists a million different options-----

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