Page 60 of the programme for Government speaks about improving waiting times, and along the same lines as our Leader on Leaders' Questions earlier dealing with people with disabilities and other treatments, juvenile arthritis is a major crisis in this country. It might not affect every family, but it affects members of my family and it certainly affects families in every constituency. Young children in chronic pain are on waiting lists for up to two years. At present, we have the equivalent of two and a half paediatric rheumatologists available to treat these children. International best practice states we need to have in the order of six. Despite numerous meetings by lobby groups and organisations on behalf of the parents and many Deputies here raising the issue, it seems the word around the campfire in the HSE is that the cupboard is bare and no money will be available for additional paediatric rheumatologists. I appeal to the Taoiseach to include this in the forthcoming budget because not to treat these children will ultimately be counter-productive because it will cost the State more as these children's treatments become more complicated as their condition worsens.

The word around the campfire in the HSE is always that the cupboard is bare yet the facts say otherwise. We have the biggest health budget in the history of the State.

A bit of balanced accuracy now, the same type as the Taoiseach was talking about earlier.

The Deputy asked a question. Will he hear the answer?

We have the biggest health budget in the history of the State and it will rise again next year. It will not be long before we are in the top two or three in the world in terms of spending per capita. We need to move the debate on from how much money we spend to how it is being spent and what difference it is making for patients. We have a couple of hundred more consultants now than there were a number of years ago. I cannot say specifically whether consultants will be recruited in that area-----

Ceann Comhairle, which question is he answering? Did somebody else ask that question?

-----but given what the session is, a question like that would be best asked to the Minister for Health as a parliamentary question rather than-----

So we are not answering. There are 400 children. There is no room for balanced accuracy on this one.