Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fail)

I propose an amendment to the Order of Business, that No. 11, first stage of the Access to Cancer Treatment Bill 2012, be taken before No. 1.

The time between now and the end of the session is limited and the House will be sitting on Fridays. Could the Minister for Health be brought to the House? As Senator Darragh O'Brien has said, some of the commentary at the recent meeting of the Committee on Public Accounts is worrying. The chief executive of the HSE, Mr. Cathal Magee, has indicated that the HSE may have a deficit of as much as €500 million. Like Senator O'Brien, I fear it may be worse than that. Mr. Magee said assumptions on which the HSE 2012 service plan was made are no longer valid. In an alleged aside to Deputy Deasy, it is claimed he said that if the HSE were to operate to the plan it would have to close beds, wards and possibly even hospitals. We are concerned on this side of the House, as I am sure all Members are, about the protection of front-line services, which are critical to people, between now and the end of the year. I ask the Leader to raise this matter with the Minister, with a view to bringing him to the House.