Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Some people in here would probably like to roll back the clock to a time when Sinn Féin did not have 500,000 voters on the island of Ireland, including many in west Belfast. The people have a right to choose who they want to represent them. Thankfully, more and more people have come towards Sinn Féin in each election.

My question relates to Cabinet committee E. The leader of Fianna Fáil has again demanded more investment in Sláintecare and all the rest. We know that cannot happen without the necessary investment. The Government and its partners in Fianna Fáil have set the limited parameters of this year's budget. The €800 million that is available is not exclusively for health. It will have to be used to deal with other areas of need, including the two-tier pay structure across the public service and social welfare. The Taoiseach has suggested that there may be tax cuts. The reality is that Sláintecare will not get off the ground unless the Government makes the necessary investment. Fianna Fáil can argue that we need this, that and the other, but it cannot happen on magic beans. We cannot open additional hospital beds or build capacity within our services on the basis of IOUs on the back of brown envelopes. The Government needs to make decisions and choices. When will we see a plan for the investment of approximately €3 billion that is being called for under Sláintecare to bring about a transformation in the issues that have been presided over by the Government with the support of Fianna Fáil every step of the way? The failure to draw up such a plan has led to the scandalous situation we have today. People are waiting two years for assessments. Scoliosis patients are waiting three years for their first appointments. Some 707,000 people are on hospital waiting lists and many more are on trolleys. The health service is facing many challenges. When can we expect the assisted human reproduction Bill to be published? Has it been considered by Cabinet committee E? In light of the number of complex issues involved in that legislation, would it be possible to deal with sections 2 and 3 of the Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 in a separate Bill as a means of resolving the issues being faced by same-sex couples? Has this been considered by Cabinet committee E? What is the Government's intention in this regard?

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