Opposition attacks 'dysfunctional' Government in Dáil

The Government is “politically and economically dysfunctional” and doesn’t have a handle on the problems facing the country, Opposition parties claimed during leaders questions in the Dáil today.

In a heated debate focusing mainly on the Health Service Executive's service plan published yesterday, Labour leader Eamon Gilmore accused the Government of "staggering exhausted to the Christmas break" during the country's worst economic crisis.

The HSE's service plan was completed in October. However, following the continued downward trend of the economy, the executive said it was now "dated" and it expects to have to save another €400 million next year.

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said the new cuts would "strike at the very heart of the most vulnerable in our society", and he asked the Taoiseach how the extra cuts came about.

Mr Kenny said: "Surely the Minister for Health sitting at the Cabinet table with the Minister for Finance should have been in a position to say to the HSE you are basing this service plan on the wrong figures?"

Taoiseach Brian Cowen responded by saying the sums quoted are not HSE figures and "resources alone will not provide solutions to the Health Service".

He said: "The HSE has put forward a service plan to support the goals they have which is to maintain services to patients and clients."

"The goals we wish to see across all levels can only be achieved by real cooperative engagement of management and staff from the very start of the year drawing on the commitment of all to patients first and foremost."

And he hit back at the Opposition by saying "you all agree with everything in theory but when it comes to practise you oppose everything, everyday and you have no alternative".

Mr Gilmore also asked the Taoiseach about his economic recovery plan.

"On the economy you said two weeks ago we didn't need an economic recovery plan, the beginning of this week you said you had an economic recovery plan - we still haven't seen it, we're now told its some kind of a framework," he said.

Mr Cowen said an Irish economic recovery can only happen when there's a global recovery.

"We are an open economy, we are affected by what happens outside, we're not total masters of our own economic destiny in every respect," Mr Cowen said.

"What we also know is those are inherent strengths that we can build on but can we please desist from suggesting that the last ten years were an illusion."