Colm Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am simply reminding the Senator of it. I will come to the Order of Business. The report clearly set out that by 2012 there would be 3,600 consultants in the country, up from 1,700. At the moment there are 2,500, which is 1,100 short. That is the first point. The second point is that since we have come into power we have provided an additional 251,000 medical cards. By the end of 2013 some 48% of the population will be on medical cards or GP-only cards. That is a fact and it was not a promise in the election. We delivered it.