Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We will not be opposing the Order of Business. It is important to congratulate President Obama on winning another four years in office. We hope that the work he does during the coming period will be of benefit to Ireland.

Closer to home and much more important, I ask that the Leader make arrangements for the Minister for Health, Deputy James Reilly, to come before the House at the earliest possible opportunity in order to discuss the specific issue of home help services. As Senators will be aware, some 600,000 hours have already been removed from the system and there are plans to remove a further 450,000 between now and Christmas.

The Government undertook to do this in a sensitive manner, with assessments of individual cases. However, that is not what is happening. Every Member of the Oireachtas and county councillor in the country, as well as anyone involved in a community organisation, has had representations from people who are genuinely suffering due to cuts that are being implemented in order to save ¤8 million between now and Christmas. In the Taoiseach's own constituency, the Mayo coroner, Dr. Eleanor Fitzgerald, stated that reductions in home help services would lead to an increase in deaths from chronic illness. How many lives are we valuing at ¤8 million? That is the question when considering the extra 15 minutes of home help or the simple half an hour that was taken away from some individuals. That time was to used to help with changing a colostomy bag, help a person to get up out of bed, wash or feed him or her or light the fire. No impact analysis was carried out on these cuts. The suffering throughout this country could not have been intended by any Government to save ¤8 million. In the other House the Taoiseach welcomed a cut to a pension of ¤500,000 which was paid by a bank supported by the State, while we are arguing about saving ¤8 million, which will affect perhaps 450,000 home help hours. Something has to be done. It is a serious crisis that must be dealt with immediately. I do not propose an amendment to the Order of Business but I ask the Leader to make arrangements to have this issue dealt with. Regardless of the intention of the Minister that each individual case be assessed, that is not happening. The level of suffering is in no way equal to ¤8 million in savings. We must prioritise cuts in other areas if we are to save ¤8 million, considering the impact this will have on elderly individuals throughout the country.

On another issue, I refer to a number of newspaper articles about family planning clinics and reports of information being provided which was inaccurate and described by some medical professionals as downright dangerous. Irrespective of one's position on this issue - whether one is pro-life, pro-choice or pro-debate - serious questions have arisen as a result of the investigative reporting by Independent Newspapers. I gather there is to be a HSE review and investigation of this issue. In my view it warrants the Minister's personal attention and the Government should oversee this investigation. Regardless of one's personal, party or moral position on this issue and in view of the fact that medical professionals are saying that dangerous information is being provided and funded by organisations and agencies using taxpayers' money, this must be investigated.