Labhrás Ó Murchú (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Go raibh maith agat. Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire.
We are dealing with an area that is probably more complex and more multifaceted than any other aspect of life. We are faced with two choices. Do we continue managing crises or do we have fundamental reform? Do we need to reform not only the health system but the HSE itself? I think we must revisit it.
I compliment the Minister. He is only in the job a wet day and I have him to be refreshingly honest in making himself available, in particular during the beds crisis. He was on the front line, on radio and television and was stating the position as it was. He made one important comment, which might have seemed very simplistic, but on which I picked up. When it seemed that we did not have an immediate solution to the beds crisis, he called on everybody involved to put the shoulder to the wheel. That has been part of the problem with the reform of the health system. I do not say this in any derogatory way. There are a great many vested interests in the health system and every time one tries to make a move forward - and this is reported in the newspapers - it is quite evident that it is very difficult to do so. I have always felt that the nurses, in particular, need help. I think we need to be more balanced. What about all the good news stories in the health system? We all have had experiences of those but we lay them to one side and deal with the negative side.
I do not think it is acceptable to have a two-tier health system embedded in our culture. It is most unfair that somebody with VHI cover, like I have, can access whatever we require quickly. I visited the accident and emergency department in the regional hospital in Limerick recently. The trolleys were crowded so closely together, one could not get between them. I do not think managing the crisis will give us a long-term solution. I am not in favour of task forces or quangos, but we are in an emergency. We have an ageing population and we have new medical procedures. We will not be able to solve the problems on a year-to-year basis. There may be a requirement for extra money, but I do not think that is the main issue. We hear from the director general of the HSE who tells us that no matter what policies are in place, he will not be able to deliver. That would suggest that we have accepted the status quo and that there cannot be reform. Until we are honest and try to work together, reform will not come about.
I have question marks over the concept of designating hospitals as centres of excellence. It all sounds wonderful. Is the hospital in Limerick not a centre of excellence? I presume it is. I am not being unfair to anybody. Perhaps one could say the same about other hospitals. However, when I visited, it was 1 million miles away from a centre of excellence, as I understood the concept. I think it will take great political courage to deal with it. We cannot blame the Minister, as he is only barely in the job. We must blame ourselves, each and every one. Have we the courage to revisit the concept of centres of excellence and see the position?

Have we the courage to decide what it will cost if we are to improve? Have we also the courage to take on reform no matter what opposition comes our way? There is nothing as heartrending as meeting someone who do not have the wherewithal and is not able to find urgent medical attention for a loved one. That is the bottom line. Whether one is a socialist or a capitalist, that is the challenge that should be facing us, not political point-scoring nor the taking of sides in some of the debates that are ongoing. We should retain our medical people in Ireland as we need them. Managing the crisis is not the way forward.