Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Our healthcare system is in crisis as every day brings new headlines which tell of the litany of failures inherent in the system. We have had a series of scandals, including that of CervicalCheck. Over the course of that debacle, the bravery of women like Emma Mhic Mhathúna has shone a light directly on the incompetence of the Minister for Health. That scandal continues with the backlog of tests and a wait time of seven months for results. We have a children’s hospital with run-away costs, up to €0.5 billion over budget, money that will have to come from taxpayers and from other capital projects. For this Minister, this Government and Fianna Fáil, patients on trolleys is the norm. It is acceptable to them. It is so acceptable that the Minister deemed it appropriate this afternoon to take to Twitter to puff out his chest and declare: "Bring it on".

The Minister is failing. That is very clear. Every day Deputies from across the Chamber get to their feet to set out the latest crisis. Even Fianna Fáil does it, even Deputy Micheál Martin does it, albeit to throw shapes and play to the camera, but when the camera is off, it is business as usual for Fianna Fáil.

Supply and confidence has undermined and discredited the political process. The essential role of the Opposition is to hold the Government of the day to account, to advocate for those without a voice, to call out failing Ministers and failing policies and to demand better, but Fianna Fáil, in its supply and confidence agreement, has abdicated responsibility and betrayed the electorate.

The simple fact is that the Minister is incapable of doing his job, yet he remains in office. He believes he is untouchable. The crisis and scandals mount and hardworking people pay the price, quite literally.

The leader of Fianna Fáil has listed the failings of the Minister for Health but by his actions, he will support him, he will protect him and Fianna Fáil will protect Fine Gael. The leader of Fianna Fáil says he will support the Minister in the national interest. Let me tell him that it is never in the national interest to keep a failing Minster in place. The price is too high not only in terms of the children’s hospital but in hospitals and doctors’ surgeries across the State.

The leader of Fianna Fáil tells us that this is done to avoid an election as Brexit looms. The Taoiseach has said there will be no election before Brexit. There is no threat of an election, yet the Minister remains, and all this because of so-called supply and confidence, a deal that covers the blushes of a Fianna Fáil leader for giving the Government a blank cheque while pretending to act as an Opposition. Sleeveen politics is now the order of the day in the Dáil.

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