David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The reason we tabled the questions the way we did is to cut through all of the spin and essentially lay bare the consequences of a Government that does not properly fund our health services. As Minister for Health, the Minister knows a huge mistake was made in not properly funding the health services even to stand still but what is worse is that if we do not provide new funding each year, particularly for these strategies, we lose a year. We stand still. With the greatest of respect, funding coming from other Departments for other areas does not make up for the fact that we have lots of consultant posts and allied healthcare professional posts that are needed in stroke units right across the State, which will not be filled next year. To me, that is a mistake. This is only one part of the health service. I could have picked lots of different elements of the healthcare system that will suffer because of this. I am very concerned. The figures I have received from the Irish Heart Foundation show that 600 more patients will not be admitted to an adequate stroke unit next year as a direct consequence of no new funding coming into that stroke strategy. While the foundation welcomed the strategy and was happy and pleased that it was in place, it is a real disappointment to it and, I would imagine, to stroke survivors and patients, that there is no new funding for new measures. That will have consequences for patients.

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