I do not know if the Taoiseach saw last night's "Prime Time", which revealed a very serious analysis from Dr. Tony O'Connell, former national director of acute hospitals, in regard to the appalling situation within our emergency departments and in regard to delayed discharges. That analysis was written on 8 September, a month before the budget. He had some very telling things to say, including: “From a quality and safety perspective this situation is unacceptable... Frail, elderly patients risk nosocomial infections, falls, pressure ulcers, and medication errors." In terms of lengthening waiting lists and emergency department overcrowding, he said that both of these phenomena risk patient safety, delayed treatment for patients needing surgery and increased mortality for patients blocked in their transit through emergency departments. He also said that the solution is adequate funding of the social care sector and that the 2015 Estimates bid appropriately seeks additional funding for social care to address shortfalls in current funding levels.

The Minister was asked this morning about this matter. Of course, with his usual detached, commentator approach, and in a now common refrain from the Minister, he simply said, "It is not new to me" and that "It is going to get worse". His response to this was it is going to get worse. Therefore, there will be more people at risk of dying in our hospitals before the Government decides to get to grips with it.

The Taoiseach has been warned about this all along. From June 2014, the Government was warned about delayed discharges, the appalling cuts in the fair deal scheme and the fact that twice as many people are now waiting three times as long for fair deal scheme places. If we compare February 2014 to February 2015, the number of people waiting on trolleys has gone through the roof.

A question, please.

The fundamental point is that the Government had choices in the budget last October. It allocated €600 million to reduce taxation.

A question, please.

At the same time, it was asked to provide about €200 million to this specific area to deal with the risks to patient safety and of increased mortality, which is the risk of more people dying. The Government gave about 12% of what was asked by the HSE when it gave €25 million. Two months into this year, all that can be said now is that it is going to get worse.

Sorry, Deputy. Will you put a question?

Does the Taoiseach accept the Government did not provide adequate funding in the budget to deal with this situation and to ensure that elderly people would not have to go through what they have gone through in the past number of months and are continuing to go through?

I will accept that this is a very challenging situation. I accept there have been difficulties for many years now with delayed discharges and the lack of beds, in some cases, to accommodate people who need this kind of attention. I would point out to the Deputy that, as the Minister said this morning, there is not anything new in the information provided in the letter by Dr. O'Connell, who is an eminent medical person. Clearly, he pointed out what is absolutely realistic in the context of older people and the difficulties that are created when we have a backlog situation.

The fact of the matter is that an extra €500 million was provided to fill the overrun in respect of health last year, with about €150 million for the budget for this year. A health service plan was presented and accepted. The Government supports the Minister fully in dealing with the many challenges in the area of health, not least of which is the fact that they are compounded by this particular problem in respect of delayed discharges.

The fair deal scheme, introduced quite a number of years ago, is being reassessed. That report's findings on the effectiveness or otherwise of the fair deal scheme will come before the Government when presented by the Minister. The estimate of the population of over 65s this year is 604,825 and this will rise by 100,000 in the next five years to over 700,000. This is a demographic challenge we face and, as I said, the Minister is reviewing the fair deal scheme. That will set out the options for the State, the costs and some data in respect of mapping for future needs. With over €13 billion in the health system this year, this is a very substantial amount of money but it is an area where the Minister has the support of Government in attempting to manage it in the interests of every patient.

That is an appalling response. It is extraordinary that there seems to be no sense of urgency in government about the fact that people are at an increased risk of dying in our hospitals because of lack of funding. Dr. O'Connell outlined that the loss of 30 wards of capacity means that fewer beds are available to accept elective admissions and that this decreases the ability to cope with the surges in demand though our emergency departments. He referred to endoscopy lists going from 10,000 to 20,000 by year end, with greater risk of increased mortality.

Four years ago, the Taoiseach said he would review this scheme. In December 2006, when the fair deal scheme was brought in, Deputy Kenny led the attack and said this was "the introduction of a new death tax on the elderly". At that stage, it was at a 15% contribution whereas it is now at 22%, courtesy of his good self. However, in a letter to me two days ago, he now describes it in this way: "The scheme is a generous one in that it carefully matches the contribution made by residents with the ability to pay and it limits the portion of an applicant's assets." The Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, has said it should be demand led, and the Minister nodded.

Would you put a question, please?

Why was it not demand led last October?

Because the Deputy's party bankrupted the country.

Some €1 billion was spent between tax reductions and other things last October. The Government had warnings right across the system.

Come on. They are four years in the job.

The director general of the HSE said this is the "Achilles heel". He said 2015 is going to be a very difficult year.

A question, please.

We know how careful people in his position are with language. I would take that as code for something much worse, by the way. In other words, the Government should have provided far more funding in the budget for health than it did. Year after year, the Taoiseach is providing dishonest figures on health. He is saying the figures are adequate when we know that, by the end of the year, they are woefully inadequate.

Will you recognise the Chair, Deputy? You are over time.

It is not a smiling matter, Minister Varadkar. It is about time we had less of the Minister's detached commentary. People are dying in hospitals because he is putting other options and choices ahead of people in dire need now in our health service.

The Deputy comes in here, week after week, purporting to have all the answers.

He is elected to do that. It is his job.

He stands up here, as the leader of his party, a party with no health policy at all-----

The Taoiseach is pretty good at it himself.

The Taoiseach promised to keep Roscommon Hospital open.

On the back of a lorry.

-----that was presented at some press conference in the past that did not even have the support of his own political party. It is the same old story from Deputy Martin every day: "I have all the answers but, actually, we have no policy in regard to health at all." The mythical-----

He sounds like he is up on the back of a lorry again.

They have no policy.

The people of Roscommon know about the back of a lorry only too well.

The mythical Fianna Fáil policy will deal with all of these answers some time in the future.

The Taoiseach will not even drive through Roscommon any longer.

When Deputy Martin says-----

It is not me. It is the former director, Dr. Tony O'Connell.

The Deputy asks a question and then he cannot shut up and has to keep talking. The Deputy made the point there is no sense of urgency here.

Last December the Minister for Health convened an emergency task force to deal with unacceptable delays in people getting into the system and being discharged. An extra €25 million was made available for that. In addition, a range of other measures have been put in place. Some 900 additional transitional beds have been provided for this year on a temporary basis. In January 500 transitional care beds were funded in private nursing homes and a further 400 in February to assist in the discharge of patients from acute hospitals. Throughout the country 173 short-term public beds are being opened-----

It is going to get worse.

-----for a three-month period and arrangements are in place with the HSE to recruit front-line staff where it has been established that there is an urgent need for them. The day and night shift nursing complements have increased in Beaumont. There has been agreement on 70 nursing posts for the University of Limerick hospital group.

The Government cannot get them to integrate.

There have been 22 agency nursing conversions, 66 nursing posts and additional health care posts for Drogheda, and 39 posts for Naas. In addition, beds are due to open in Mount Carmel. There are plans for rehabilitation beds to open in Louth County Hospital later this month-----

Another back of the lorry speech.

-----and up to 300 overflow beds have been opened.

Thank you. We are way over time.

Community intervention teams have been introduced in Naas and Drogheda. It is not true to say-----

Why is it worse this morning?

The Minister has a plan.

Things are getting worse.

He is working this effectively. He has the full support of the Government, unlike the Fianna Fáil Party which goes back to its way of doing business, namely, a nod and a wink, no plan, no proposal and no case.

It is getting worse.

A nod and a wink. That is what the Roscommon people-----

Stay quiet, please, and let Deputy Adams make his point.