Thomas Byrne (Fianna Fail)

We will not delve too far into the backgrounds of a number of Government Senators, who were in various parties over the past ten years. It is a legacy issue and we all have legacy issues.

A false Estimate was put forward by the Minister for Health in respect of the HSE at the beginning of the year. Substantial savings were promised in respect of this Bill, which was first promised last August. This Bill is a fine piece of work and, on its own, it is welcome. However, seven months into the 2012 financial year and one year after it should have been drafted, the Bill is not welcome. The delay in the Bill means wards may be closed, operations will be cancelled and people will suffer. It is all very well if the Minister goes on television saying that he is doing a great job for the consumer but, by delaying, the Government is not doing so in this case. The Minister, Deputy Reilly, has essentially done nothing in regard to this Bill which would have achieved substantial savings. I do not know what the Government will say to the IMF and the people at the end of August or in early September when substantial cuts will have to be introduced in the HSE budget, partially because this Bill and a number of other measures were not introduced. Those other measures relate to agency nurses and the cost of private beds in public hospitals. Those issues simply have not been addressed by the Minister, Deputy Reilly. I exclude the Minister of State, Deputy Shortall, from this because it is clear there is a serious problem in the Department of Health and, as far as I can see, it is not coming from the Labour Party side.

We support this Bill but we are very concerned that introducing it in the Seanad on the second last day of the session is a tick the box exercise for the IMF. However, the Government will not be able to tick the box for people whose operations are cancelled and in regard to ward closures in September. We will remind the Government that we offered to pass this Bill - I am sure opposition parties in the Dáil would have facilitated its passage there - to allow savings to come into effect much more quickly and to make up some of the shortfall. We support the Bill but do so with a heavy heart. We were willing to allow its passage this evening but for whatever reason, it is being unnecessarily delayed until the autumn which is the exception to the rule given that Bills are guillotined.