Phil Prendergast (Labour)

There is a legitimate cost to this. In Limerick Regional Hospital, 17 people are awaiting beds, five in South Tipperary General Hospital, nine in Waterford and 26 in Galway. This amounts to quite a number of people awaiting services. These people are sick, have been seen by a doctor and are awaiting beds at a time when millions have been spent on trips abroad to conferences on issues such as change management which are widely available in Ireland. The people awaiting hospital beds are ill. More than 100 people in the Department of the Minister, Deputy Lenihan, have received bonuses, a fact referred to by other Members on the Order of Business. It begs the question as to what is our priority.

Last night, the Leader, who never guillotines a Bill, guillotined a Bill, thereby denying us any right to debate and discuss very important issues and the opportunity to discuss the most negative Bill that has come to the House in my time here and possibly in the history of the country. That is no way to do business. It is my experience that in the week following the budget, the agenda is stuffed in order that there is no time for debate on serious issues. The Government seems to be trying to stop proper discourse in the House from having a legitimate outlet whereby people can say what they need to say. It is because those on the Government side cannot listen to what we want to say. Members on the Government side, as human beings, must be finding it very difficult to look at the system operating here, where the most disadvantaged in society are suffering because of budgetary decisions that have yet to hit them.

Yesterday, in the debate regarding the "Prime Time Investigates" programme, commentary reflected what was seen on the programme. I remind the House, however, that the care givers and companies that provide services such as these are not all bad. There are some excellent companies in the private and public sector. I would like that to be acknowledged.