I must say that the Taoiseach's response to Deputy Donnelly beggared belief.

We have moved on from there.

Deputy Martin does not want GP cards allocated.

I am leading into the programme. The Taoiseach is out of touch with the realities of health on the ground. For the record, 35,000 over-70s medical cards will be taken from people this year as a result of the budget.

The Deputy does not want GP cards allocated.

This is not anecdotal. It is fact.

The Deputy does not want the GP cards-----

People are contacting us.

Taken from people with cancer.

Could we stick to the Order of Business, please?

Discretionary medical cards are still being taken randomly from people. I just wanted to let the Taoiseach know that.

And people with cancer.

The Deputy does not want the GP cards.

In the revised legislative programme-----

It is news to me that Fianna Fáil does not want the GP cards.

We would love it if children with multiple disabilities could get back the cards that were taken from them.

Could we get back to the Order of Business, please?

That is what we would like first and foremost.

That would be a start.

Sort that out.

That is our first priority. Could sick children get their cards back, please?

And people with cancer.

Will Deputy Martin ask his privates on his left-hand side to stop talking?

They are from another battalion.

They are the Ceann Comhairle's responsibility.

Deputy Martin might have more room for them.

They are not in my ranks.

I never opened my mouth.

I am sick of asking them.

We do not belong to Deputy Martin at all.

Their enthusiasm for the points I am raising is heartfelt.

They have a different battalion going.

Dumb and dumber.

Lieutenants.

Maybe the Deputy could give them a stripe or two and promote them.

The Ceann Comhairle is wrong. I never opened my mouth.

Then that is probably not our Mattie.

It is a good start to the new year for Deputy Mattie McGrath. Under the reform programme, the legislative programme for the next session comprises four Bills. The health reform Bill has been signalled by the provision of a GP service for people aged five years and under and new structures for the health service. The health service plan has been published. I raised this matter on the Order of Business before Christmas. The plan has been changed by the Cabinet, I believe sinisterly. This is in line with the Irish Water situation. The Government is all spin and management of the story. The HSE director stated in the plan that this would be a challenging and difficult year. I am sorry - the Government inserted the "challenging" bit. He stated that the HSE would not meet service priorities, there would be pressure on patient safety, etc. The Cabinet decided in its wisdom to change the language, as the latter was not palatable to the public and did not sound and look good enough.

Will the Government allow time for a full plenary debate in the House on the health service plan? Yesterday, the director stated that the HSE would not be able to meet its priorities under the plan as announced. We are looking at €1 billion in cuts to the health service in 2014. The Government has received many warnings from around the House to the effect that the centre in health will not hold if the Government continues to pursue its policies. There will be many difficulties and patient safety in our hospitals will be compromised as a result of the health service plan as published.

We cannot have a debate on the health service.

We need a debate on this matter in the House as soon as possible.

I remember the €1 billion the Deputy took off the old people. He refused to accept any responsibility. I did not know that the Fianna Fáil Party was opposed to the allocation of GP cards for under fives. I did not know that. I am glad the Deputy has confirmed it. Might I say that the draft-----

Give them back their cards.

-----service plan, as submitted by-----

The Government is opposed to giving medical cards to sick people.

-----the Health Service Executive to the Minister, included a figure of probity of €113 million for medical cards. The Minister, as was his right, was entitled to consider the draft service plan as submitted by the HSE and amended that. Clearly, that was a major shift-----

The HSE told him what it could do.

That is factually incorrect.

-----in his understanding-----

The Taoiseach is wronging the HSE again.

-----that one could not achieve the scale of figure that was included initially.

The Government is controlling public servants and making them work towards a political agenda.

Deputy Martin asked a question. Could we get the answer, please?

That is misleading information, as the Taoiseach well knows.

Of course this will be a challenging year for health, no more than for any other Department. Indeed, for the people it is a challenging year. Nobody underestimates the scale of that. Just because the troika has gone and we have exited the bailout, it does not mean that one has flexibility to do all of the things as one wants.

Is that not what the Taoiseach told us?

We have targets to adhere to. The budget is set for this year and we will move on with that. There were 61 claims for inclusion on the A list for legislation for this session. As Deputy Martin is aware, we used to have three sessions for Dáil legislation. There are now two this year, so this one goes out until July. There are 41 pieces of legislation. We have changed the way this is going to apply because, from yesterday's meeting on, Ministers will speak to the Chairmen of the committees about the Bills that are going to come through in their particular areas. When heads of a Bill come before Cabinet, they will go automatically to committees for pre-legislative hearings. It is a matter for the committee as to how much time it wants to do that - a day or whatever. That is its business.

Like Irish Water before Christmas.

The first Bill - No. 19 - in the health area is the health (general practitioner medical service) Bill, which is to provide the GP service to children of five years and under. I have no objection at all to a debate in the House on health. We could fit that in when the Deputy's Whip raises it at the Whips' meeting.

On the health services plan.

We will fit that in at a time that is appropriate for the health service plan.

That would be welcome.