Facts are one thing, statistics are another and human lives are yet another. The Taoiseach read out a list of facts and figures. I said we have spent €60 billion in the past ten years under three Ministers for Health and Children. The Taoiseach has not addressed the human side of any aspect of this matter, bearing in mind that 40,000 operations have been cancelled and 29,000 people are still on waiting lists. There seems to be no understanding any more of what is happening by members of the Government.

In 1997, Fianna Fáil promised the full implementation of the national cancer strategy, including the creation of centres of excellence in Dublin, Cork and Galway and eight regional centres. Ten years on, the programme is not even half way towards completion.

In 2001, the Government promised in the national health strategy that programmes for breast and cervical cancer screening would be extended nationally. Six years later, women, principally, are discriminated against in the provision of the service. More recently, a report on radiation oncology, produced by the HSE and remarked upon by one of its officials, clearly stated the objectives in this area are unachievable in the timeframe set out.

The joint report, published in 2001, concludes that critically ill adults and children are routinely denied intensive care services in Ireland. It states that the cancellation of major surgery and premature discharge are routine and that these practices are known to increase patient mortality. Nevertheless, in the wake of three Ministers for Health and Children, the Taoiseach tells us things are well.

The "NBSP Women's Charter", which deals with emergency cases of women suffering from breast cancer, lists the following aim: "To arrange for you to be admitted for treatment by specialised trained staff within three weeks of diagnosis". It is an emergency when a woman finds a lump in her breast only to discover that a guarantee made nationally that six beds would be available in the Mater Hospital is no longer being honoured. It is all about the trolley count and saving face. Very little of what the Taoiseach read refers to saving lives. It is about time that the Government, in its remaining 100 days before it is voted out of office, decided to focus on the real issues that exist rather than having the Minister for Health and Children tell us that the crises are manufactured by professional personnel in white coats who look concerned about the people who are dying.

Hear, hear.

Shame on the Government.

Deputy Kenny should at least research his facts. BreastCheck involves diagnostic work, mainly for women over 50. It is on a precautionary and preventative basis that it is being rolled out. Deputy Kenny may refer to the charter but I launched the programme and am well aware of it.

He launched a thousand policies.

He could have implemented it if he launched it.

"Bertie of Troy".

He launched more programmes than Cleopatra.

Allow the Taoiseach without interruption.

That is what BreastCheck is and screening is being rolled out around the country.

The treatment work is such that it is necessary to admit certain people on an inpatient basis or to have them attend for further screening, tests, surgery or operations. Deputy Kenny confused the two areas.

Incredible.

The Deputy is correct that it has been said recently that the work cannot be completed by 2011. I cannot accept and have not accepted that additional time is needed to complete the work.

The radiotherapy hospitals in Waterford hospital, which only came on stream two years ago, are fully built and operational. The second accelerator unit is working and it is being used by the National Treatment Purchase Fund——

They are not in Waterford Hospital.

They are in Waterford, in Whitfield.

Allow the Taoiseach to speak without interruption.

They are not in Waterford Hospital.

Deputy O'Shea is not the leader of Fine Gael. The House will hear the Taoiseach, without interruption.

He is from Waterford and he knows.

If I were the Taoiseach, I should not go there.

If he knows, he was at the opening with me, where we went down and saw the accelerators.

That is a private hospital.

I am talking about the Whitfield Clinic, and there is a contract——

It is not Waterford hospital.

It is the Whitfield Clinic, which has a contract with the HSE, where women in the south east and other parts of the country are receiving radiotherapy treatments on this day. Is that not true?

They are not listening.

The Taoiseach is replying to Deputy Kenny's question.

Is it not true that when I was there Deputy O'Shea and others said they would see whether there was a contract signed with the HSE for public patients? Is it not true that this has been done and delivered and that one of the best services in the country is in his constituency, and that I played a part in that?

Hear, hear.

It is not in Waterford hospital.

The Deputy should be serious about it.

As regards the services I accept Deputy Kenny's point that their roll-out in the private sector, as in the Whitfield Clinic and in Limerick, can be done at enormous speed. To say at the start of 2007 that they cannot achieve a strategy by 2011 is just not acceptable. Given the huge resources and the staff they have been given, they should be able to do it by 2009. I do not accept that and I have said so to the Minister for Health and Children, who in turn has repeated it.

As regards the consultant posts and BreastCheck in particular, the cancer screening programme is being rolled out nationally this year.

What about cervical screening?

I ask Deputy Cowley to allow the Taoiseach, without interruption.

He is still getting the GMS.

In reply to Deputy Kenny, we are preparing a cervical screening programme which will start later this year. It was not the case that we have not got a programme. There was no programme a few years ago. As regards the staff involved now, there are 110 new specialist posts in cancer treatment, giving 300 new cancer specialist posts. There is a cancer control strategy. It is neither reasonable nor fair to say that in this area we have not put in an enormous amount of resources. There are cases, such as the one we saw a few weeks ago that was highlighted by RTE, where I accept somebody had not been seen for months. I have not seen the full facts as regards the case, but that should not happen. It will be interesting to follow it through, but I have not seen the full details. However, we put in the screening processes and we are rolling them out. We have improved services and massively reduced waiting lists. I am not going to do a bed count as regards the Mater or any other hospital, but we are genuinely and honestly putting the resources in and we shall continue to do that. It is not all finished. The final date was 2011, and I accept that. However, we have improved the services dramatically for diagnostic work, radiotherapy — which is not fully completed, I admit, but the programme is in place — and elective work. Matters have improved dramatically. I come across people on waiting lists too. However, services, which were never in place hitherto have been resourced and enhanced around the country.