Sinn Féin TD for Dublin North West Dessie Ellis has said that this Budget goes beyond money when it comes to the Health service, that each person on those waiting lists is in pain and putting their life on hold waiting for important surgery, and that the Government is indifferent to that pain and hurt.
Speaking during the Budget debate, Deputy Dessie Ellis said:
“Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have forged this budget between them and it represents the failed politics of a failed class and a failed system.
“This wasn’t a Budget to address our staffing crisis in our hospitals. By the end of September, there were 258 people waiting in Cappagh National Orthopaedic Hospital for a year or more on the Inpatient/Day case surgery on Orthopaedics. It is a scandal that four out of the six theatres in Cappagh were out of action due to lack of staff, consultants and equipment such as artificial limbs and other necessary parts over the last few months. How can waiting lists be reduced if this is the case?
“Under this Budget, when the funding required to cover pay restoration is taken into account, the real Budget increase for health is €147 million. This is simply not enough. This is in comparison to Sinn Féin’s Alternative Budget which proposed an additional €462.8 million to fund the health service. However, this goes beyond money as each person on those waiting lists is in pain and putting their life on hold waiting for this important surgery. There is nothing in this Budget that is going to increase resources and staffing levels to cut the waiting lists.”