Eamon Scanlon (Fianna Fail)

I welcome the Minister to the House. In getting the economy back on line it is important to be aware that the health of a nation has a direct impact on its economic health. When one falls ill one has a reasonable expectation of quality service and care. We have a multi-tiered health care system, public, private and marginalised. The latter have an income just a little over the eligibility threshold for a medical card. What is required is a targeted extension of the medical card system based on need.

The Irish Patients Association has consistently advocated the need for value for money in our health service. To secure that value the money must be redirected to other areas of need within the health care system and not returned to central funds. There is a need for more beds, consultants and investment in community care, more accountability, updated legislation for the Medical Council to meet the needs of the 21st century and better utilisation and standardisation of technology. In a commercial sense, what company would survive if for every factory worker there were three or more administrators or managers supporting them? We need efficiency targets in all departments to allow for the extension of medical cards, more beds and the provision of more consultants.

The Minister, Deputy Martin, would like to do more but managing the health system is a matter of prioritising issues. A whole range of services which had been scandalously neglected prior to 1997 have been tackled by this Government.