Frances Fitzgerald (Fine Gael)

Newspaper reports today indicate that Ministers have been instructed to find €3 billion in cuts for the forthcoming budget. What criteria will be used in making these decisions? I raise this matter in light of the fact that front-line services are being affected. I refer Senators to the main letter in today's edition of The Irish Times, which was written by the mother of an autistic boy who attended Beaumont Hospital a few days ago. She states she is appalled that 52 beds are being closed in the hospital and describes as follows her experience of bringing her autistic son to its accident and emergency department:

My severely autistic son was brought in with a lump of chicken lodged in his gullet. He was labelled emergency. Having sat in a wheelchair from 9pm on Tuesday, May 4th until 11am on May 5th, he was finally ... taken to theatre for surgery to remove the blockage.

This is the recent experience of a woman whose son was in an emergency. It is critical, therefore, that the House discuss the approach that will be taken to the Government's planned cutbacks. Front-line services are under extreme attack and people are highly concerned.

Yesterday, the Ombudsman for Children published a report showing how services are continuing to fail children. On the Order of Business yesterday, Senators also discussed the church response to the protection of children. We must also examine the State's response to the protection of children. A number of reports have been laid before the Houses. We now have the report issued by the Ombudsman for Children and a further report on the Health Service Executive which Deputy Alan Shatter placed in the Oireachtas Library. I ask the Leader to ensure the House has a debate on these issues.

On a number of occasions, Senator White has raised the lack of discussion of and failure to implement the recommendations of the McCarthy report on quangos as well as the lack of structural reform. Where will the proposed cuts be made? Will the most vulnerable be affected? Can the House have some input into decision making on the budget and cuts amounting to €3 billion which are apparently being sought?