Tom Shehan (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister and I would like to congratulate him. When this programme was published last week, one would expect that there would be some kind of kick back. However, the majority of people, including myself, would think that as we are in recessionary times and we should expect the basic provision of services. We have to go back to the grassroots and our core job. Everybody understands we are in a recession, but they expect a good level of education for our children, a good health service and the right to feel safe in their homes.

Two of those issues have been addressed in this programme. How long has the national children's hospital been on the agenda, with Fianna Fáil in power for 14 of those years? It was before I ever came into public life.