Darragh O'Brien (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister. I have listened to the debate - particularly the last two contributors - and watched the television monitor earlier. Some of us on this side of the House have a degree of sympathy for the Minister. I talked to my health spokesperson and colleague, Senator MacSharry, and he too has had occasion to cross swords with the Minister of State, Deputy Shortall. I wish the Minister well with the mediation process. I would not take a bet on it but for his sake I hope that they can work things out.

Senator MacSharry has outlined my party's position on the Bill and we gave it a broad welcome. Without question the HSE, its structure and how it is governed needs to be changed and that is all fine, well and good. From my time in the last Dáil when the Minister was the Opposition spokesperson on health one was given the impression that the only problem with the health service was that he was not in charge. The same impression was given around the country when he promised many things to people in Monaghan and Roscommon. How are the plans for a new hospital in our area of the north east going?

The job of a Minister for Health is serious and I have acknowledged that before here. Recently, I watched the speech he gave in Monaghan where he gave an assurance that he would resign if it was seen that he did not keep his word. I ask him to watch his speech and to listen to what he and the Taoiseach told the people of Roscommon. More importantly the Minister should examine what was done. Does he have a clear conscious?

Last week we read that there are 340,000 outpatients on waiting lists. Successive governments have failed to deal with waiting lists. Before the Minister replies with the old mantra of what did or did not happen under the old regime I must state that advances were made, particularly in cancer services.

I consider the Minister to be a good constituency colleague. I have listened to him speak at various meetings where he talked about the importance of children. I agree that we must ensure that children and the most vulnerable in our society receive the services that they deserve. However, the aim must be explained to people in the context of managing a reduced budget and real choices must be outlined. The Minister should not leave it up to HSE officials to deliver serious announcements like those made three weeks ago. We do not have an unlimited pot of money and he should be upfront about telling people that. I acknowledge that he has a difficult job to do but we must give people choices because a lot of promises were made.

I have a question on governance. When will there be free GP care for long-term illnesses? I have written to the Minister and his office about various cases, particularly on behalf of people with diabetes and I would like to know how they are proceeding. I have heard a lot from the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Varadkar recently but I will not go into it. He has told me that he deems such free GP care to be unaffordable. The scheme formed an important plank of the proposals by the Minister for Health when he was Opposition spokesperson and I am interested to hear how the matter is proceeding.

I have a couple of serious matters that I wish to raise with the Minister on paediatrics and children. I raised the issue twice here and I wrote to him a couple of weeks ago.

I have yet to receive a response. I am sure it is in the Minister's office.