Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I apologise to Deputy Durkan in particular because I gather that he was the only one to show leadership at his parliamentary party meeting last night and actually call out the lack of performance of the Government. As regards the Leas-Cheann Comhairle's infallibility, the people of Donegal have known that for a long time.

As we speak, the board of the national children's hospital is at the Committee of Public Accounts. The latest instalment in the Government's vanity project is that there could be a further overrun of some €50 million on the project. This year alone, it is likely to run over budget by between €2 million and €2.9 million. I have been campaigning for some time to address the waiting lists of more than 500 people for occupational therapists in County Mayo. There are vacancies for occupational therapists. I got a response this morning from the HSE to say that it has applied for funding to fill one of those vacancies but that it continues to await a response. How does the Government defend to a parent of a child on a waiting list for an occupational therapist for the child the fact that the HSE cannot get approval for funding for an occupational therapist? The budget for this children's hospital will go over by another €50 million, including by €2.9 million this year. Some €2.9 million would employ an awful lot of occupational therapists.

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