Taoiseach playing the blame game, says Gilmore

DÁIL REPORT:THE LABOUR leader accused the Taoiseach of "suffering from a bad dose of BSE, blame somebody else," in his defence of the health services.

Eamon Gilmore said that when Bertie Ahern was confronted with a problem, he found anybody to blame but his own Ministers.

Mr Gilmore and Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny challenged Mr Ahern on the reports issued last week relating to the cancer misdiagnosis at Portlaoise hospital.

Mr Ahern defended the Health Service Executive (HSE) and said that he did not accept Mr Gilmore's position. "This is a report into Portlaoise and problems in Portlaoise. I have no doubt people in Portlaoise will be doing their best . . . but this is the judgement which has been given . . . It is not a question of blaming anybody . . ."

Mr Ahern said it was wrong to be talking in terms of the treatment of cancer being worse than it was.

"The figures show . . . it is not figures, it is people alive because [ of] the success and improvement of the oncology services in this country . . . and the dramatic improvement . . ."

The fact was, added Mr Ahern, that patients were being treated better, diagnosis was earlier.

"That is a just a fact. What I want to do is make it better," he said.

Mr Ahern warned against using the Portlaoise reports, where there was difficulty in one aspect of the health service, or running around the place trying to get other areas where there was a difficulty, to "beat everybody" who was trying to improve the service.

"I am not going to play that game," he added. "I just want to see the services for this country improve in the long-term. And I think that is what we should all be trying to do."

Pressed by Mr Kenny, the Taoiseach said that the reports were critical of communication, co-operation and the clarity of responsibilities. "These are serious issues which have to be dealt with and put right," he added.

Mr Gilmore said that the manner in which the Taoiseach had described the situation in Portlaoise indicated that people were not communicating with each other.

"If it was a garage you were describing, you would not bring your car to get it serviced there," he added. "After 11 years in office, that is the state of the health service that you have presided over and are offering to the Irish people."

Mr Gilmore said that the HSE "monster" had made the situation worse. "All you can now do is plead you want to make a fresh start," he added.

Mr Kenny said that the Portlaoise reports had shown the HSE to be "bloated, overcentralised, and disconnected from the patients it is supposed to serve".

Nobody in the country now had confidence in the HSE, he added. He accused Minister for Health Mary Harney of being detached from the reality of the Irish health services in 2008.

Mr Ahern said the reports had covered serious problems which had to be addressed.

"If Deputy Kenny is asking me have I confidence in the 130,000 people who are out there trying to deliver a health service for a population of 4.2 million every day . . . in operating theatres, community health settings . . . trying to diagnose and implement treatment . . . trying to look after our old people . . . to bring our young people into this life . . . and are trying to serve to the best of their ability . . . I think they are fine people," he added. "I am not in here to criticise any of these people."

Mr Ahern said that the reports had been issued because there were problems. "We are not talking about the successes or the everyday work," he said.