McDonald Slams FF/FG Agreement For Government

Sinn Féin Vice President Mary Lou McDonald has slammed the recent Agreement for government between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil.

While a commitment towards a a five-year HSE service plan was welcomed, Teachta McDonald said a pledge to provide €15 million to the National Treatment Purchase Fund was "woefully inadequate".

"The Agreement reached between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil to maintain the status-quo and return Enda Kenny as Taoiseach, somehow the result of weeks of negotiations, is strong on soundbites but light on substance, no more so than in the area of healthcare," she said.

"The Agreement does nothing more than enshrine a commitment to maintaining the chaos both parties have inflicted on health over their terms in office and the continuation of an unequal, two-tier, underfunded, crisis-ridden health service.

"The document commits to 'maintaining a humane approach for discretionary medical card provision'. The current approach is a far cry from humane, and Fianna Fáil candidates committed to introducing automatic medical cards for children in receipt of Domiciliary Care Allowance. They should now clarify exactly what they mean by the continuation of a 'humane' approach.

"The reality is that both parties have no will to adequately address the problems in health, are both firmly committed to a two-tier health service to the detriment of patients and their joint Agreement for government is nothing more than a blueprint for continued chaos in the health service."

(LM)