Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I concur with Senator Bacik and others in commending the Government for finally implementing the recommendations of Mr. Justice Iarfhlaith O'Neill's committee, and actually going ahead with a commission of investigation into suggested ill-treatment of whistleblowers. Whistleblowers are the primary source of a lot of the reforms that we see today, and this situation needs to be dealt with once and for all.Like others and, indeed, the Minister, we were all horrified by what was unveiled last night on "Prime Time Investigates". It is outrageous that successive Ministers have been given information that is not accurate and that figures, waiting lists and reports are not accurate or reflective. This is not good enough. It is not good that a Minister would receive the wrong information. Effectively, this is a case of somebody lying. We need a serious investigation in the HSE as to why the Minister and previous Ministers were given the wrong information. Heads should roll. How can a Minister make a case to Government for extra funding if he or she does not have the full facts? In terms of the money that is required to get the health service up to a standard over which people can stand, it requires a significant increase in funding. We need a debate in this country about having no tax cuts for the next number of years. The extra resources that become available as a result of not having tax cuts should be ring-fenced and put into capital expenditure in the health services. Most decent human beings and taxpayers in this country would be quite happy to see their taxes increase by a percentage or two in order to solve this problem once and for all. Every year since I have been elected, people have stood up here pre-budget and looked for tax and universal social charge reductions and tax breaks. That day must go. We need to see a significant increase in health spending to deal with what we saw last night on television.