Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

If the Minister was earning the average industrial wage and he received a €5 increase in his weekly wage, what does he think would be the impact of that increase in the context of, for example, paying utility bills? What impact does a €5 increase have on a person who is in receipt of a pension and whose rent increases, even if that individual is a local authority tenant? The increase does not have an impact. Most people accept the idea that they would prefer to see money going into public services - such as the health service - where it matters.

The Government has not grasped the import of Sláintecare. The Minister stated that the Government has agreed to it. Members of the Minister's party were on the Sláintecare committee that agreed the final report. The report was to be implemented last year so we are one year behind. It requires €3 billion - €600 million each year - for implementation and €2.8 billion over ten years in ring-fenced funding to pay for the expanded entitlements to which the report refers. Implementing the report would make a big difference. If people saw the Government implementing the ten-year plan, they would agree that this is where the money should go. They would see that they could access the care and hospital services for the benefit of their health and that of their children. That would make a difference.

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