Colm Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

An impression is being created that there are 100,000 people working in the health service who are all sitting around all day doing nothing. Let us be a little realistic. Staff across the board in the health service are working very hard, including nurses, doctors, consultants and management. There are defects in the system which we need to rectify, but, please, stop giving the impression that it is falling asunder. Last year 67,000 babies were born.Were they all born on the side of the road? That is the impression that is now being given. Some 63,000 people a week go through outpatient departments. Some 6,900 people a week have day-care procedures. They are the figures. Some 23,000 a week attend accident and emergency. Let us stop talking as if nothing is happening. There are defects in the system and they need to be resolved but to give the impression that 100,000 people working in the health service are doing nothing-----