Tom Shehan (Fine Gael)

-----call for the Minister for Health, Deputy James Reilly, to come to the House for an earnest debate on the HSE service plan for 2012. As we know, there are lies, damned lies and statistics. For the purposes of that debate, I ask our colleagues on the other side of the House to bear in mind how many beds were closed when the previous Administration was in power.

I congratulate my colleague, Senator Noone, on the survey she has carried out on the Croke Park agreement. That agreement is the elephant in the room in all of this. It comes down to a choice between retaining the same number of front line staff on less pay or having fewer front line staff on the same pay. The choice was made, under the Croke Park agreement, that we would have fewer numbers and maintain pay rates.