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

There was no limit to the budget for the children's hospital. It is wrong to try to pit against nurses the idea that if we do a deal with nursing, or if this issue gets resolved, it will somehow be at the expense of medicines and patients, and so on. The Taoiseach gave a very impressive, detached commentary and a series of observations at the beginning of his response, full of empathy and understanding of how committed the nurses are to getting this issue resolved. However, he then went on in the latter part to give every single reason why he does not think this can be resolved or that he is in a position to resolve it. I got no sense of any initiative he is about to take.

Nobody is asking him to borrow money. He is the person who, without any provocation, said he had €3 billion over the next three to four years for income tax cuts - out of the blue, he said he could produce €3 billion just like that. He can promise what he likes to those where he deems it to be in his interest but for everybody else and when it comes to climate change or the health service, different rules apply.

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