Liam Twomey (Fine Gael)

As a matter of urgency, the House must debate the banking crisis with the Minister for Finance. To some degree, the Government's economic policy is unravelling before our eyes, while at the same time taxpayers are committing themselves for unbelievable amounts of money. We have paid €11 billion in direct aid to the banks. We will buy approximately €50 billion worth of junk bonds from the European Central Bank. We have a bank guarantee of €400 billion and we are still at it. The Government is committed to spending billions more and buying stakes in our major banks which, it is clear, are still operating to their own rules, which I would expect them to do to some degree. However, we are investing billions of our children's future into banks without yet knowing whether it will work. We need to have a serious debate on this issue. We cannot do what the Minister for Finance is doing and state that everything is hunky dory because Europe supports us. Europe does not support us. All Europe supports is that we do not cost it money; it does not give a hoot whether we bankrupt ourselves.

We also need a serious debate about what is happening in the public sector. Public sector workers are refusing to answer phones or to take any part in the re-organisation of health or other services. Even if it is only inconveniencing people, we know such inconvenience can be a huge issue for ordinary people seeking social welfare payments or medical cards. In the health services, it has the potential to cost people their lives unless we get it sorted out fairly quickly. Will the Leader call on the Taoiseach to come to the House to discuss this issue before it escalates to a point where it has a detrimental effect on citizens?

Yesterday, comments were made on the quality of patient care in the health services. Prior to the most recent general election, the Dáil debated the Medical Practitioners Act which had a section on assuring the competency of doctors. Three years later, that competence assurance programme has not started. Such a programme for doctors, nurses and other professionals in the health service is how we will curb the Michael Nearys of the future. The Minister must do more than legislate; she must ensure these programmes work and get them working immediately.