Last night the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Shortall, voted confidence in the Minister for Health, Deputy Reilly, but it was clear from her speech, the tone of her remarks and the fact she failed to mention the Minister by name that she does not have confidence in him. Not only did she fail to mention him by name but she also outlined in her speech a series of issues of concern to her which were not being progressed within the Department. This is hardly a sign of her faith not only in the Minister but also the entire machinery of government. She outlined her concern about the "lack of priority afforded to producing the free GP care legislation", which is one of the commitments of the programme for Government. She also expressed concern about the introduction of universal health insurance. After 18 months as a Minister of State, she continues to ask basic questions about the model on which universal health insurance will be based. We can deduce from this either that no work is being done in this area or that she has been excluded from negotiations even though she has responsibility for primary care.

Has the Tánaiste held any discussions with the Minister of State, Deputy Shortall, about her working relationship with the Minister, Deputy Reilly? Has she ever discussed with the Tánaiste the concerns she outlined last night? Has she discussed her concerns about the delays in giving her delegated powers? Has the Tánaiste ever initiated discussions on what is apparently a broken working relationship in the Department of Health?

Civil war in the Department of Health.

I listened to the contribution by the Minister of State, Deputy Shortall, to last night's debate, as well as the contribution by the Minister, Deputy Reilly, and the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch. I also heard the collective voice of this House, which voted by a margin of 2:1, with every Government Deputy commending the Minister on the reforms that have been undertaken to date, more in 18 months than the party opposite did in the 14 years it was in charge of the Department of Health and Children-----

Change the record.

-----and supporting the reform programme this Government is pursuing in health. What we have seen from this Government over the past 18 months is an urgency and impatience to reform our health service with less money and fewer staff than the party opposite had available to it. The country and I expect these reforms to be delivered.

They will be waiting.

I do so because, while Deputy Calleary may wish to make a political issue of it, out there somewhere-----

The Minister of State, Deputy Shortall, made an issue of it.

-----there is a mother with a child who has a nasty cough and she is wondering whether she can take that child to the doctor. This is why, for the first time, we have a Government that is committed to introducing-----

Was that the same mother who was in contact with me regarding an 18 month wait for an ENT appointment?

Please stay quiet.

-----a system of universal health insurance with equal access to care for all. Under that system there would be no discrimination between patients on the grounds of income or insurance status and the two tier system of unequal access to hospital care will end. That is what we committed to doing in our programme for Government and that is what we are going to deliver. I have discussed the delivery of that several times with the Minister of State, Deputy Shortall, and the Minister for Health at the relevant Cabinet sub-committee and with my other colleagues. I assure the House that we are determined to deliver on that commitment and I expect-----

When are you going to start?

-----and have confidence that the ministerial team in the Department of Health will do that delivery.

Once again the Tánaiste failed to completely answer the question. He has the gall to speak about urgency and impatience.

Fourteen years.

Last night the Minister of State, Deputy Shortall, expressed concern about the lack of priority afforded to producing the free GP care legislation. The Minister of State in charge of this area says that not enough is being done for that mother and her sick child, but the Tánaiste speaks about urgency and impatience. What has he done to address the completely fractured working relationship between the Minister of State, Deputy Shortall, and the Minister, Deputy Reilly? Has he made any intervention on a constructive basis to ensure she has the support and delegated powers she needs to do the job and help any mother or patient to get GP care? She is in charge of the job but she feels she is not getting the support she needs to do it. Do not speak about urgency and impatience when the Minister of State in charge of doing the job feels she cannot do the job.

It is shocking.

Would Deputy Calleary mind asking his assistant to stay quiet?

Show him the door.

Why does the Ceann Comhairle not ask him to stay quiet?

When it comes to gall, Fianna Fáil has it in abundance. After 14 years of doubling the expenditure in health and doubling the number working in the system, it left us with a health service that was worse than when it got it.

The Labour Party wanted more.

Stay quiet, please.

This Government is in the process of repairing that. We have a strong team in the Department of Health-----

A team.

-----led by the Minister, Deputy Reilly, and the Ministers of State, Deputies Shortall and Kathleen Lynch.

I ask the Tánaiste to define what he means by "team".

They are getting on with the job of repairing the health service that Fianna Fáil broke. I expect and am confident that they are going to deliver on that.