Ahern cannot check on every health worker

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said that he could not be responsible for the work of each individual employed in the health service.

He could not come into the House every morning and say that every one of the 120,000 people involved was performing to the highest standards, he added.

"But I have to say this: I believe they are well facilitated by this State, and I hope they provide that service. And we will continue to do our best, as a government, to improve that service." During heated exchanges, Labour leader Eamon Gilmore had challenged Mr Ahern to say if he accepted responsibility for what was happening in the health services.

Mr Gilmore said that the equipment in the hospital in Portlaoise was 15 years old. A leading radiologist had said that in half the hospitals in the State, the equipment was also 15 years old.

"How many of your Ministers, Taoiseach, are driving around in 15-year-old cars? How many of your departments are relying on 15-year-old computer equipment?"

Mr Gilmore said that Prof John Crown had described the Government's approach to the health services as "insane" and claimed that the Government was presiding over an apartheid system. Meanwhile, he added, Prof Maurice Neligan had said that it was immoral and wrong to run down small hospitals without having in place the promised centres of excellence. He had also said that the Government's plan to build private hospitals had more to do with suiting the construction industry than the needs of the patient.

Prof Neligan had also said, Mr Gilmore added, that Minister for Health Mary Harney would have resigned or been sacked, from her position if she was in any other country.

Mr Gilmore said that Prof Ray Kinsella had said that responsibility rested squarely with the Government. Prof Niall Higgins, who had drawn up the cancer strategy, had described what had happened in Portlaoise as a systems failure, something which the Taoiseach had denied.

Mr Ahern said the State was more advanced than elsewhere in moving towards digital equipment. He added that the machine in question was tested on an annual basis.

The same mammograms had been examined by two different teams, said Mr Ahern. One person had decided one issue and another person another issue.

Mr Ahern said he expected staff to work to the best of their abilities when the House devoted €15 billion to the health services.

"I am not in here to decide whether Maurice Neligan, when he had that job, before he retired many years ago, did his cardiac surgery operations perfectly . . . whether he made a mistake or not and somebody died. I am not here to form a judgment on that . . . or any other consultant.

"I am not here to answer for the consultants of this country . . . whether they are in their operating theatres doing a proper job." The Government, he said, provided modern facilities to very well-paid people, with the vast majority of them earning in excess of what he did.

"One of the individuals you mentioned, to the best of my knowledge, and the best of luck to him, has a huge private practice along with his public practice." Mr Gilmore accused the Taoiseach of giving a "scandalous, cowardly reply" to his questions.

Earlier, Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny asked why triple assessment had not been provided in Portlaoise hospital. " Why do we hear complaints about 15-years-old machinery? Why were breast cancer surgery services not carried out as was envisaged? This was the Taoiseach's system, his policy and his failure and he should tell us why the confirmation given by the Minister for Health and Children was never implemented?" Mr Ahern said he did not not want to get into a blame game because a report was being prepared and the consultant would bring in all the facts.

" I understand that the original images diagnosed by the radiologist involved to determine the cases were used in the re-examination. The report will have to give its verdict on all that. Staff, equipment and quality assurance issues will form part of the report." The difficulty, said the Taoiseach, was that the cancer was not seen when the mammograms were read. "Triple assessment only applies where it is read and then referred on. I hope that point is clear."