The Tánaiste will be aware of the concerns that have been expressed about the ability of the Health Service Executive to deliver front-line services in 2014, particularly when it is faced with a cut of €666 million, as referred to by the Minister for Health in the budget debate. The figure may even rise above €1 billion, as referred to by the chief executive of the HSE. The recent letters from CEOs have further heightened public concern.

The Government is convinced that patient safety will not be jeopardised because, it claims, the money will follow the patient. I put it to the Tánaiste that the money is not following the patient, particularly when it comes to children with life-limiting conditions. Professor Owen Smith has confirmed that there are delays in giving chemotherapy to children with cancer when they are in hospital. Sadly, there is little support on offer to families who wish to care for their children at home. Funding has not been ring-fenced for home care teams or nursing care on a 24-hour basis. Families are being refused medical cards because they are seen to be over the income limits, when the reality is that they are experiencing serious economic difficulties caring for their sick children around the clock. Why is the Government on the one hand apparently committed to the universality of health care and to introducing something we all welcome - namely, free GP care for children aged under six - while at the same time it is not allowing children with life-limiting conditions to have medical cards? The Government stands indicted for its failure to provide funding for dedicated palliative care of children suffering from life-limiting conditions.

The Government's priority in the area of health is to ensure that patient care is at the top of all considerations. It is unfortunately the case that budgets for the health services have had to be reduced in recent years. As we know, that is because the present Government inherited an incredible mess in the public finances. There is no doubt that this year will also be challenging for the health service, but the Government's priority is protecting front-line services and patient safety. In particular, we want to ensure priority is given to patient safety and care for children. That is something we certainly want to see taking place.

Within that challenging financial environment, we have been progressing the reform of the health services. The reforms are long overdue. They involve changes in the way in which our hospitals are configured to ensure patients get the best care. They also involve a move to universal health care and universal health insurance. In this year's budget we announced the first steps in that direction with the introduction of free GP care for children under five years. I recognise there are continuing challenges and problems in the health services. These have to be addressed and we are working on them. We have made considerable progress despite having less money and fewer staff. We are undertaking the biggest reform of the hospital system in the history of the State, including changing the way in which consultants work and the introduction of universal health insurance. We have reduced waiting lists and numbers of patients on trolleys. Since the middle of 2011 we have established 32 new primary care centres, introduced free GP care for children aged five and under and committed to the construction of the national children's hospital and a new national maternity hospital, for which €200 million was provided in the budget. The number of patients waiting on trolleys has been reduced by 30% since the Government took office. The number of adults waiting more than 12 months for inpatient and day care surgery decreased by 73%. Progress is being made but, in a service which is demand-led and in which the demands are growing all the time, clearly more needs to be done.

I am disappointed with the Tánaiste's response. He spoke about reform and statistics. The reality is that of the 1,400 children nationwide with life-limiting conditions, who are primarily being looked after by the Jack and Jill Foundation, approximately 350 die per annum. We all acknowledge that we are in difficult economic circumstances and perhaps we will have the luxury on another day of discussing how we got into these circumstances. However, the Tánaiste and his Government are currently responsible for dealing with the situation and it is an indictment of them that they are not prioritising the care of children. The care of the aforementioned children has been left to a voluntary organisation. A study at Trinity College Dublin which was commissioned by the Jack and Jill Foundation and run by a man who is over 70 years of age and has dedicated his life to the care of those children has found that it would cost €16,500 to provide palliative care for children at home, whereas providing for them in hospital, where many of them have to stay because the Government is not addressing the problem, is costing nine times more, or approximately €150,000 per annum. That is not good for the Exchequer and it certainly is not good for the children who are affected.

None of us should do anything other than to go to every length to provide medical care for children and to look after them when they are ill. However, it is difficult to listen to lectures about the health service, particularly as it pertains to children, from a party that neglected it so badly in Government. For years it spoke about and looked around the idea of a children's hospital.

Is that still on target?

Where is it now?

During the good times, when money was available, it did not build one.

I was not speaking about a children's hospital. The Tánaiste should answer the question he was asked.

This Government is proceeding with the construction of the children's hospital, which is long overdue.

Deal with the issue of palliative care.

We have provided the funding for it.

What about the Jack and Jill Foundation?

The priority for the Government is to deliver the best quality of care, particularly to children, in every circumstance of medical need. It is challenging at times because of the limitations on resources, but the Government's priority is to provide the best possible care for children when they need it.

The facts speak to the contrary.