Camillus Glynn (Fianna Fail)

In the 1990s, the Labour Party and Fine Gael, the members of the dynamic duo now offering themselves as the saviours of the health services, held the portfolios of finance and health. The Opposition parties were in prime position to drive the agenda of investment and reform in our health services. However, they failed abjectly on both counts. I remind Senators on the opposite side of the House that waiting lists stood at 23,000 in December 1994 when the Labour Party and Fine Gael, with Deputy Noonan as Minister for Health, assumed control of the health services. In their programme for Government, they spelled out clearly that they would continue the progress of the previous two years in reducing waiting lists. What happened? Despite their pledge, waiting lists rose by 27% under that Government from approximately 23,000 in December 1994 to approximately 30,000 in June 1997.