Same old Fianna Fáil health policy: high taxes & low ambition – Buttimer

Fine Gael Cork South Central TD and Chair of the Oireachtas Health Committee, Jerry Buttimer, has said that this weekend’s Fianna Fáil Ard Fheis, and especially its health policy, proves that it’s the same party of high-taxes, ever higher-spending, and low ambition.

“Fianna Fail’s health policy shows that they don’t like change – of any sort. They want the system to stay exactly the same. And they want to pay for it through taxes – more and more taxes – without trying to make things work better.

“In a nutshell, Fianna Fail has dusted down its health policy from the Bertie Ahern era and put on a new cover. They want to maintain the two-tier health system without trying to improve it.

“Let’s not forget that Mícheál Martin created the HSE. Deputy Martin is clearly so wedded to the HSE that he wants to pour more State funds into it, throwing good money after bad without any reform. As Minister for Health, he avoided difficult decisions by commissioning 145 reports at a cost of €30 million.

“Others talk, but Fine Gael acts. In the last four weeks alone, the Government has

• Launched the Emergency Department TaskForce Plan and the Fair Deal initiative, which will make a big difference to the number of delayed discharges;

• Reached agreement with the IMO to issue new GP contracts to provide medical care without fees to the under-sixes – these will be issued in the near future;

• In the last week, the European Investment Bank announced a €70 million investment in 14 extra Primary Care Centres;

• Lifetime Community Rating will be implemented in the very near future, bringing further stability to the health insurance market;

• In the north west, progress is being made on new cardio response and radiotherapy services based in Altnagelvin will make a huge difference to patients in Donegal and surrounding areas;

• And the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill, which will radically change our approach to alcohol, has finished pre-legislative scrutiny.

“At their Ard Fheis this weekend, Fianna Fáil has 101 motions calling for the restoration and reversal of all sorts of measures, most of which FF introduced in the first place. They want to do the same with health – go back to the past, to the bad old days of Fianna Fáil.”