David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I have met with dozens of hospital managers, front-line healthcare staff and advocate groups in recent months. They all talk about plans they have submitted for new beds in hospitals, surgical theatre capacity and diagnostic capacity, all of which are necessary to reduce wait times in hospitals. The same can be said in mental health, where there are many buildings that are simply not fit for purpose. We need a long-term investment plan. We need a decongregation plan for people with disabilities. All of these areas, however, do not have multi-annual plans.

I need to ask a more fundamental question relating to what is actually going on in the Department of Health. So far this morning, the Government has been unable to give us a completion date for the national children's hospital. For whatever reason, we just cannot get it. We have no idea what the cost overrun in the Department of Health will be. Despite the fact that there is an ongoing debate, discussion or row - call it what you want - between the Department of Health and the HSE, nobody in government is prepared to tell us what that cost overrun will be, and we have all these crises in healthcare. The Minister needs to get a grip with his Department and what is going on. It is not good enough that on days like today, when it is our opportunity to put fundamental questions to the Government and the Minister for Health, we are provided with no answers, almost right across the board.

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