Thomas Byrne (Fianna Fail)

He will not muzzle me or any Senator on this side of the House.

With regard to the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Burton, what happened was that she signed up to a four-year plan stating a certain amount would have to be cut from the social welfare budget overall. She reasoned with herself and, I suppose, her party and concluded all the money would be obtained from combating social welfare fraud. She gives an estimate of 3%, which amounts to approximately €600 million. She realises now she cannot obtain this. I fear she will target people who may not be guilty of fraud or remove benefits from certain individuals in order not to have to make an across-the-board cut. She will fail to keep her promise and it is fair to say she already has through cutting various benefits.

Related to this matter is the jobs budget. One of the best decisions I made since my being re-elected was to vote against the Finance (No. 2) Bill. Unless there is some movement in the labour market, that legislation will have to be repealed. Essentially, we have given €400 million to the private sector without securing a jobs benefit therefrom. We will have to review this very quickly. It must not continue for a number of years unless there is a jobs benefit.

With regard to health, Fianna Fáil proposes an amendment to the Order of Business, namely, that the Minister for Health, Deputy Reilly, be invited to the House to discuss local hospital services around the country. The Minister has absented himself from this House. It is ironic that we had motions on the Order Paper inviting anyone and everyone into the House when we cannot get Ministers to come here to discuss important issues.

Promises were made in Roscommon and also in County Meath. There are severe threats to accident and emergency services in County Meath. The latter services were always due to be moved elsewhere but not until appropriate facilities become available elsewhere. There are no such facilities. There is a now threat to orthopaedic services also.

I am critical to some extent of the Save Navan Hospital campaign, which is chaired by a Sinn Féin Deputy. The group emerged from a meeting with the Minister last week claiming a major victory when all it got from him was a six-month stay of execution on the accident and emergency facility and the first-ever public threat to orthopaedic services in Navan hospital. The Minister will come into the House to discuss a matter such as the Female Genital Mutilation Bill, which is admittedly very important, but will not come here to discuss issues that are discussed around kitchen tables all over the country. We cannot get the briefing that the Fine Gael Members of the Oireachtas got and we cannot give the Minister the flak they gave him. This is most unfortunate.