Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the 22 Members of the House for their contributions to the Order of Business and wish them a very happy, prosperous and peaceful new year. I hope we can work collectively to serve the people who elected us to serve and work on behalf of them. I begin by joining with Members of the House who expressed their sympathy to the family on the death of the late Maurice Hayes, a former Senator. He was indeed a most prolific and prodigious Member of the House. We will honour his work and contribution to civic life in this country on another day but I pay tribute to him today. Equally, I join in the words of commendation on the passing of the former Attorney General and European Commissioner, Peter Sutherland. He was a statesman. It is a pity his words and writings were not listened to more carefully. I had the pleasure of meeting him on a number of occasions. He was a most courteous, personable and tremendous person and I extend my sympathies to his family.

Senators Ardagh, Conway-Walsh, Black, Bacik, Conway, Murnane O'Connor and O'Reilly raised the apology made to Joanne Hayes yesterday by An Garda Síochána. As Leader of the House, I join in welcoming the apology by An Garda Síochána and indeed the remarks of the Taoiseach today in Strasbourg where he apologised on behalf of the State. Certainly the Hayes family, which has requested privacy, deserve to have that but equally, the way it was treated by an arm of the State and by the State itself left an awful lot to be desired. Senator Ardagh made reference to Joanne Hayes's age when that event took place. From looking at the media reports of the tribunal of inquiry and the Garda inquiry, the way she was treated was extraordinary. As the Tánaiste said today, the matter of compensation is something the Government will discuss. Senator O'Reilly is correct. This did happen. We should collectively be ashamed of the way she was treated. It was a dark period in our country. If we cast our minds back, and the "Prime Time" programme last night depicted the imagery of that time, and compare it with where we are today, I certainly hope we are a much better, gentler and kinder nation. I certainly think the issue is one that has not and cannot be left.

Equally, a young baby who was killed is in a grave today in Kerry and the Garda investigation is continuing. There is a need for anyone with information about the tragic death of Baby John to come forward. As Leader of the House, I appeal to anybody with information, particularly the family of Baby John, to come forward to the Garda. They will be dealt with compassionately and in a very caring way. The distress caused by that event to those people also needs to be exorcised. Joanne Hayes was the subject of a very prolonged scandal and ordeal that was simply wrong, as the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Charles Flanagan, noted and we need to put that right.

Senators Conway-Walsh, Black, Reilly, Colm Burke, Mullen and Ó Clochartaigh raised the issue of health. I agree with all Members of the House that we do need more bed capacity.Why I got exercised at Senator Mullen in particular is that the use of language is important in terms of those who work in, those who administer, those who are ministerial appointments and Members of both Houses of the Oireachtas who are concerned or interested in health. Nobody accepts that there should be anybody on a trolley. Equally, nobody accepts there should be people waiting inordinately for treatment.

I will put this on the record of the House. For the information of Senator Mullen, I am not being defensive at all. As a patient, as the relative of a patient in a hospital, as somebody who worked in the hospital system and as somebody who chaired a health committee, I know, probably more than most, the workings of the health system. The previous Government and this Government, in particular, have opened more beds for the first time in a decade. Some 227 new beds have been opened. If it was a matter of funding alone, the problems in the health system would have been solved. There has been a 20% increase in funding over the past three years. The highest health budget in the history of the State was published in October 2017. If it was about funding or political accountability, the matter would be solved right now. To resolve the matter requires the collective working, not just of one part but of all parts, of the health systems.

Let me put it in context, as Senator Colm Burke rightly said. This point needs to be re-emphasised. Life expectancy has increased by two and a half years. In our country alone, 63,000 people go through outpatient departments and 23,000 go through accident and emergency departments. There are 16,000 day case procedures, along with inpatient activity. What is our mortality rate? There is increasing staffing and an increasing health budget, and HIQA is doing its job in terms of increasing standards. We are making progress. We are not regressing, in terms of health expenditure. We are actually increasing health expenditure. Whether in terms of primary care under the previous Government or this Government, more primary care units have been opened. The Minister of State, Deputy Finian McGrath, is in the Gallery about to speak on another matter. This is the Minister who has increased the funding for disability and for social care. One should not come in here and state Government is not doing X or Y.