John Paul Phelan (Fine Gael)

He is a former Senator and was a guest of an Oireachtas committee when he expressed the view that the financial sector is over-regulated. I welcome the fact that the Government belatedly thinks that we need some serious regulation in that regard.

I join my colleagues in asking for the Minister for Health and Children to attend to discuss the cutbacks in the HSE. In the constituency in which I live, I met a young man with four boys who are all aged five, with two sets of twins born in the same year. His wife died last year and he was given ten hours home help by the HSE. He received a letter two weeks ago, not telling him that his hours were to be cut back, but that they would be cut completely. That will force him out of his employment, as a self-employed haulier, to look after his four children. It is an absolute disgrace if that sector is hit. Mr. Drumm is supposed to advise the Minister, that is his role, and his advisers are paid huge amounts and huge bonuses. That is where we must seek economies in respect of the HSE.

Regarding the announcement, leaked or otherwise last week, by Teagasc, it seems, if these cutbacks come into practice, that only two of the six existing agricultural colleges will offer education to those who wish to get involved in agriculture. This is happening after thousands of people around my age took jobs on building sites. Those jobs no longer exist and the people want to come back into agriculture. The installation aid grant has been removed, as has the pension scheme for parents who may want to hand over the farm. Now, at the wrong time for the sector and the economy in general, there is talk of cutting places in agricultural colleges. There is a paltry amount of money involved.