Rónán Mullen (Independent)

Consensus should mean agreement on the big unpopular decisions to be taken. There is a quid pro quo in this, which is surely that the Government must avoid playing any public relations games and allow access to the kind of quality information needed to assess the various decisions to be made over the coming months, even when that information may be used to make a case against the Government. That must be the true meaning of consensus - a free sharing of information and a genuine approach to the issues that seeks to judge different proposals on their merits.

It is true that severe cutting must take place but it would be madness not to continue with intelligent planning, as well as extra expenditure for areas where expense can be spared in the long term. I am thinking in particular about stroke care in Ireland, about which I have spoken before in this House. The Irish Heart Foundation commissioned an excellent report done by the ESRI and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland on estimating the annual economic cost of stroke. We can say that the jury is no longer out. It is quite clear that we can have better stroke care in this country, saving 750 people a year from either death or disability, while at the same time making some savings. If 650 people were to have access to acute stroke units, with another 100 people having access to thrombolysis, there could be a saving of €13 million. More than this, much unnecessary misery, heartbreak and disability could also be saved.

It is important to have the Minister in the House to speak on the topic. A decision must be made if the aim is to be realised to ensure adequate nursing staff to bring about the necessary change in the short term. There must be a certain ring-fencing of funding for stroke service developments. Just because we are talking about taking a great deal of pain in this country over the next number of months, it cannot mean that we close our eyes to any necessary extra expenditure in areas where lives and expenditure can be saved in the longer term.