Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I also raise "Prime Time Investigates" and thank RTE as previous speakers have. It has done a great service to the State. We need to deal with the facts. I ask that the Minister for Health come to the House to explain the relationships among the HSE, the National Treatment Purchase Fund, the Department of Health and the Minister himself. It is a complex web. We cannot lay blame here today without all of the facts. We need to see what the role of the National Treatment Purchase Fund is. While I note and welcome the Government's commitment to provide additional funds and resources to the fund this year and next year as set out clearly in the budget and programme for Government, it is important to have a statement on the issue. Who actually validates lists and how does the whole system work?

We need more information than we heard last night. It was an appalling story and an appalling vista. Not one of us would like to be on one of those waiting lists or to have any family member on one. I ask the Leader to have the Minister attend at some point to make a statement on the interrelationships between the HSE, the National Treatment Purchase Fund and the Department.