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

The programme for Government refers to cross-party consensus on healthcare planning and a shared vision. Yesterday, the Taoiseach responded to my question – it is a pity he is not here today for my follow-up to it – about why the winter plan for hospitals had not yet been published. A report stated the plan should be published by July. The Taoiseach declared in a narky response that it was all the fault of nurses and consultants. The bottom line is that he insulted those at the front line. It was a classic case of blaming somebody else. When I asked him where the plan was, he said I should not mind the plan that is produced and talked about his own plan. He said the plans for the past six years were useless. That is more or less what he said. He attacked successive Fine Gael Ministers for producing winter plans that apparently had no impact. He told us at the time by the way that they would have a great impact. We were told every year they would have a great impact and now, hey presto, yesterday, when we asked where the latest winter plan is he said it was the fault of the nurses and doctors. Apparently, they do not turn up at Christmas time. That is what he said yesterday.

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