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

Our health service is in a state of perpetual crisis. Overcrowding at our accident and emergency departments and hospitals worsens by the day and yesterday the Midlands Regional Hospital in Mullingar became the latest hospital to announce it was at maximum capacity and to advise patients to stay away. That follows the dangerous level of overcrowding we have witnessed in Cork University Hospital, in University Hospital Limerick, Mayo University Hospital, Castlebar and Kerry and on and on it goes. Hospital waiting lists continue to grow and we now have the worst waiting lists in Europe.

Nurses and midwives have had to engage in industrial action, and general practitioners have protested outside the gates of Leinster House here because of the Government's refusal to adequately invest in primary care. Now to top it all we have the scandalous cost overrun in respect of the national children's hospital. All of this has happened on the watch of the Minister for Health, Deputy Harris.

The PwC report, published yesterday, shows that mistakes were made at every turn and illustrates how a risky and untested two-stage procurement strategy was pursued, which was known to have grave risks in terms of cost escalation. The sole advantage of producing a quick outcome was the opportunity for a Fine Gael Minister to cut a ribbon early.

The report highlights significant issues with governance and oversight and points to the serious matter of non-compliance with the public service spending code. It raises questions about the future of the project and the ability of the development board and the Minister for Health to deliver it within the current expected budget of €1.7 billion. Unfortunately, they have proved time and again unable to navigate this project and are responsible for the €450 million overrun which may grow.

The Taoiseach responded yesterday that the report makes for "grim reading". Ministers have said that they "accept all its findings". The Members of Government need to be reminded that they are not spectators to all of this, they are the authors of this fiasco and the people responsible. I understand that Government has accepted responsibility for this shambles. Who is accountable for the clear and gross incompetence, administrative, professional and political, and who will be held to account?

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