Paschal Donohoe (Fine Gael)

As I make this speech, it brings home to me the importance of this Chamber, which is new to me. The Minister has come to the House to address points of major importance to the communities Senators represent and to the country at large. I will confine my remarks to the amendment to the motion, a copy of which I received as I entered the Chamber. In many ways, the amendment sums up very well the difficulties we have in the health service and the country. The first sentence refers to the major increase in the number of people working in the health service since 1997. If we have had such a substantial increase in the number of staff working in the HSE, the Department of Health and Children and our hospitals, why are we encountering so many difficulties and continually discussing problems related to the quality of patient care and securing access to the services patients require when they enter our hospitals and health care institutions?

The fact that every household spends an additional €5,000 per annum in tax on health care is welcome. As we have grown wealthier, we should pay more. Why, in light of the substantial increase in staff and expenditure, is the House debating health cutbacks? Why do we continually discuss public dissatisfaction with health care and the problems patients encounter in the health service?

With regard to comments made by Senators from the other side, the contribution I heard by Mr. John McCormack on a radio programme today may have been different from that to which Senator Feeney referred. While Mr. McCormack acknowledged the value of the new strategy on cancer services, he also asked why it had taken so long to reach this point and referred to the difficulties faced by patients and members of his organisation.

I am struck by the number of speakers who take credit for those things that are going well but shift responsibility for problems in the health service to the Health Service Executive. Responsibility for these matters rests with the Government. Do my fellow Senators support the cutbacks which have been made? If they want to claim credit for the money that has been spent, they must also claim credit for the money not being spent and the cutbacks under discussion.