Thomas Byrne (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The establishment of the HSE did not even take that length of time. The period of two terms was just an excuse for the Government to do very little. It is the Minister's Government that has no health policy. That is frightening. The Minister is crisis managing day in, day out, analysing and stating the obvious. There is no problem in that regard, as he is a good man at stating the obvious. It is necessary. Where is the vision? Where is this health service going? When will the child who needs grommets, whose mother contacted me and who has been waiting since last April with a 20-week target get an appointment? When will that mother have to stop buying medication and be relieved of that financial pressure? Her family and many others around the country are under financial pressure and individuals are in serious pain. It is about time that we had a vision. It is about time that we told the people where we are going.