Taoiseach rejects view HSE is not providing successes

THE HEALTH service was defended by Taoiseach Brian Cowen. He said he did not agree with the continual portrayal of the service, despite its problems, as not providing any successes or improvements.

“That is clearly not the case. If one examines successive HSE year service plans, one will see that many of the targets set in the plans have been met and in some cases exceeded.”

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said he had visited the Netherlands at the weekend with the party’s health spokesman Dr James Reilly. He had witnessed a health system that Ireland should have for the future.

“Patients are seen inside 10 minutes, ambulances are required by law to pick up patients inside 15 minutes, yet the per capita spend for 17 million people is €3,500, as opposed to €5,000 here.”

He said each year the Irish health system was not delivering in the way that the Taoiseach wanted, nor in the way that the people required.

Mr Kenny urged Mr Cowen to consider adopting Fine Gael’s proposition to transform the Irish health system into a single universal health system which would operate more effectively.

Mr Cowen said Fine Gael had been invited to have its health plan objectively costed by the Department of Finance, but so far it had declined to do so.