Michael McNamara (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I have no doubt money is being spent. The Government is throwing money around like confetti. Our borrowings are entirely unsustainable. However, it is not having an impact. The Taoiseach said 296 critical care beds; Dr. Colm Henry, the chief clinical officer of the HSE, said 289 last week. Either way, it is a long way short of the number promised by the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly. In addition, we provide 6% of our budget to mental health. I suggested mental health was suffering because of Covid and the restrictions. I was pilloried for it but it seems, unfortunately, that it is suffering. Yet our funding to that remains low. Above all, the barometer is the number of people on trolleys. That number is still at an all-time high. Whatever the Government is doing and whatever money it is spending, it is not having the impact we need. There were 60 people in trolleys in Limerick last Monday. That is not good enough at any time, especially in a pandemic, when we know there will be more waves to endure and we cannot restrict and lock down indefinitely.

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