FINE GAEL leader Enda Kenny has claimed the Government is the "most incompetent" in the history of the State after a health service plan involving €500 million in budget cuts became "obsolete" a day after it was published.
Mr Kenny said the chief executive of the Health Service Executive (HSE) was now obliged to look for a further €400 million in cuts because of changing circumstances. "This will strike at the heart of the most vulnerable in our society as it pertains to a critical major public service plan," he said.
Taoiseach Brian Cowen insisted, however, that "the whole purpose for driving these efficiencies is to maintain, not to cut, services".
Mr Cowen also dismissed Mr Kenny's claim of a further €400 million in cuts and said "the figures being spoken of in the public debate this morning are not those of the HSE".
Amid persistent heckling, the Taoiseach told Mr Kenny that "the health service would never be sorted out if you were in charge because you are in favour of the status quo".
The Opposition shouted repeatedly "Angola, Angola" in reference to comments about the Department of Health by Mr Cowen when he was minister for health. And Fine Gael chief whip Paul Kehoe kept shouting at Mr Cowen that "you ran out of it".
The Taoiseach also said the health service had "obtained efficiencies totalling €280 million during this year, which will be repeated next year". He pointed out that "a continuing reconfiguration is taking place in the health service and there will be a continuing emphasis on more day places and day surgery". He stressed that the health service would have a budget next year of €14.7 billion, an increase of 3.2 per cent.
Labour leader Eamon Gilmore said there were 390 people on trolleys on Tuesday, "10 less than the number who were on trolleys on the day that Minister Mary Harney announced an emergency in AE in 2006".
During leaders' questions in the Dáil the Fine Gael leader said Ms Harney announced on Sunday a health service plan involving cuts of €500 million published on Tuesday but it was obsolete within a day because of reports of plans for a further €400 million in cuts.
