Barry Cowen (Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Minister is saying that the discussions within his Department with regard to his preparations for the budget were solely concentrated on current expenditure. I do not doubt that but I find it amazing that he would never ask the Minister for Health or his representatives, or his own officials to check the situation in respect of capital expenditure. The Minister knows as well as I do that, when we spoke, we looked to see whether he was in a position to provide funds within the HSE service plan, under future expenditure for this year, to deal with our demands in respect of children who are were awaiting psychiatric assessment and in respect of the elderly and the lack of home help packages and hours to deal with the backlog in that area. That was a priority of ours. Obviously we were mindful of the commitments the Minister had made in the national development plan and the commitments he made at various roadshows around the country with regard to the different projects and primary care centres to be included in that plan. They are now in jeopardy because of an overrun in capital spending on the children's hospital to the tune of €100 million. If the Minister did not ask about capital expenditure, that is very disappointing. If he did ask, what is the answer? The Minister is saying he did not ask and that he is therefore exonerated. That is a poor reflection on the situation.

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