Health service budget cuts
Senators debate the budget’s progressivity, social welfare legislation and proposed health-service savings, with Senator O’Brien seeking a full debate on the HSE service plan and clarification of the figures.
The document even boasts about Fianna Fáil budgets.
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Our debate on the social welfare Bill will be an honest one and I will be interested to hear people's views. There are no easy decisions. Talking about this budget being progressive is ironic. When the ESRI and the OECD examined the two previous budgets of this Government, they found them to be the most regressive of the past six tough budgets. I put it to Members that this one is even more so.
Can the Deputy Leader give a commitment that, on the publication of the HSE service plan in two weeks time, a full debate will take place on it in this House? What is the figure for cuts to the health service? Is it €666 million or is it €1 billion? What are people to expect from the Government? It was unprecedented that, on the day of the budget, I warned Members opposite that the Department of Health was a timebomb waiting to go off. Can the Deputy Leader tell me specifically-----
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I will conclude on this important point. Mr. Tony O'Brien and Deputy James Reilly cannot stand over these figures and they cannot tell me or, more importantly, the citizens-----
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I have asked for a debate and for a commitment that, when the service plan is published, a full debate takes place with the Minister for Health in this House. What specifically is the figure for savings in the Department of Health next year? Is it €666 million, is it €1 billion or is it somewhere in the middle? We have the unprecedented situation where the Minister for Health cannot stand over his Estimates. It is incredible.