The State's health services have lost yet again following the Cabinet's "think-in" in Ballymascanlon, Co Louth, yesterday, the Fine Gael spokesman on health, Mr Gay Mitchell, has said.
The Minister for Health, Mr Martin, was "either incapable or unwilling to take a strategic approach to health spending", he claimed. "Under the Freedom of Information Act, it was recently discovered by a journalist that the Department of Finance had in writing reprimanded the Department of Health for accepting the implications of a recent report on the need for more consultants," he said.
The Cabinet was divided on the state of the system. "The Minister for Tourism, Dr McDaid, told the public on RTE recently that he didn't understand what all the fuss was about in relation to the health services.
"Clearly these forces in Cabinet have shown that there is no unity of purpose when it comes to a fair and equitable health system.
"This poor judgment on behalf of ministers is at the heart of the failure of this Government to overhaul the health services, despite being provided with unprecedented amounts of taxpayers' money by Dail Eireann.
"The much-heralded and spun Ballymascanlon think-in has become the Battle of Ballymascanlon and the health services have lost yet again," Mr Mitchell said. Wicklow Labour TD Ms Liz McManus has challenged the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, to prove that yesterday's special Cabinet meeting in Co Louth was "something more than a PR stunt by a Government on the run".
"The state of the health services is the most important political issue in Ireland today. After four years of floundering, the Taoiseach is desperately looking for a lifeline on health, but promises of money are not enough," she said yesterday.
The health service was in crisis and the increased funding already provided by the State had not made a significant difference.
"Transforming the health services requires structural reform and if this is not clearly spelt out what we will have is yet another smoke-and-mirrors exercise by a Government that doesn't have a policy on health and is facing into an election year," she said.
Thirty thousand people were still on the waiting list, she added. "Thousands more are waiting to see a specialist. Spending more money alone is not the answer, radical reform must go hand in hand with investment to ensure we achieve real improvements for patients."
Ms McManus challenged the Taoiseach to declare his support for universal access to free GP care, the integration of primary and secondary care and a commitment to eliminate waiting lists.
"Without these radical changes, our creaking health system will fail to meet the health needs of our citizens for years to come. We are now a rich country, cap able of delivering a world-class health service, yet the Government hasn't even developed a clear strategy on health."
