Simon Harris accuses SF of 'shouting at you or threatening to sue you' during health debate 

Sinn Féin spokesperson on Health David Cullinane challenged the Government to revise the health budget and reverse the recruitment embargo. Picture: Gareth Chaney/ Collins

The Government has been accused of mismanaging the health service during a testy exchange with Sinn Féin.

Higher Education Minister Simon Harris insisted the Government was investing in and growing the service, and criticised Sinn Féin's plans as well as claiming "they either shout at you or threaten to sue you".

Sinn Féin TD David Cullinane criticised a recruitment freeze for "thousands of vital frontline posts", claiming 7,000 essential posts have been scrapped because of Government's "mismanagement of the health budget".

"The disastrous decision and consequences of this Government's decision to deliberately underfund the health services for next year becomes clearer by the day and by the week," he said.

He said 595 patients on hospital trolleys were recorded on Monday ahead of an "extremely difficult winter in our health services".

"And your Government in that context has decided to deliberately underfund the health service," he said.

It was quite obvious from the budget that your Government has thrown in the towel on health. You have condemned tens of thousands of patients and staff to extreme risk in hospitals this winter."

Speaking during leaders' questions, he challenged the Government to revise the health budget and reverse the recruitment embargo.

Responding for the Government, Mr Harris said there were 143,075 staff working in the health service in September, an increase of 5,330 this year.

He also said there was funding to "further grow the size of the health service workforce in 2024".

"This is for 2023. We have Budget 2024. We have the first of January weeks away and that is a year in which the minister for health has more money for the HSE to hire more nurses, more doctors in addition to the exemptions that have already been secured."

Mr Harris said the Government had allocated €2bn for health in 2024, whereas the Sinn Fein alternative budget for health had a €1.5bn allocation.

"So when you asked me to revise the health budget, are you asking me to cut the health budget by a further half a billion to reflect your policy plans?" he said.

Mr Cullinane said his party's plan "would have provided for existing levels of service above that €1.5bn", and accused the minister of "bluster".

Referencing the next general election, Mr Harris responded: "I'm not making this about Sinn Féin at all, I'm making it about choices and the choices the Irish people have in relation to this Government versus that government."

He quipped: "They tend to shout at you or sue you," as Mr Cullinane attempted to respond.