Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Deputy Jim Daly referred to the establishment of hospital trusts. I am amazed in regard to the specific trust concerning the Cavan-Monaghan hospital group that we are not linked with the Mater hospital. The Minister, Deputy Reilly, knows as a medical doctor and a politician that there is a huge affinity, working relationship and pattern of Cavan people accessing tertiary health services at the Mater hospital. Whenever I have an opportunity to visit a patient there, I am always struck by the number of Cavan people I meet who are accessing services. I do not know if the Minister approved the trusts or if that was done at HSE level but I presume they are set down in stone at this stage. Whoever devised them made a significant mistake in failing to give Cavan General Hospital and Monaghan Hospital to continue that great tradition of work and accessing of services at the Mater hospital.

Regardless of what funding system is put in place in future, I am anxious that we ensure it is proofed at cross-Border level. The Minister will be aware of the huge potential we have to deliver services on an all-Ireland basis. Representing two Ulster counties, I am aware of the great potential we have at Cavan General Hospital and Monaghan Hospital to work with Enniskillen hospital. Sligo General Hospital also has that opportunity. The Sligo and Letterkenny hospitals can work with Altnagelvin as well. I hope that whatever funding system emerges, it ensures no obstacles are put in place to the collaboration that exists and the potential for greater co-operation on the island in the provision of services.

Not for the first time, the Government has presented the House with a debate which is wrongly titled. Today's business is stated to be on the White Paper on universal health insurance but we are actually making statements on a Green Paper. Let us look at the standard parliamentary definition of a White Paper:

White papers are documents produced by the Government setting out details of future policy on a particular subject. A White Paper will often be the basis for a Bill to be put before Parliament. The White Paper allows the Government an opportunity to gather feedback before it formally presents the policies as a Bill.

I contrast that with the standard parliamentary definition of a Green Paper:

Green Papers are consultation documents produced by the Government. Often when a government department is considering introducing a new law, it will put together a discussion document called a Green Paper. The aim of this document is to allow people both inside and outside Parliament to debate the subject and give the department feedback on its suggestions.

What the Minister has produced more closely resembles a Green Paper than a White Paper. It raises many more questions than it answers and, certainly, indicates that we are a long way from implementation. A Government Minister was quoted in the national media recently as saying:

He [that is the Minister, who should have been referred to properly] has been allowed to call it a White Paper. He needed that at least but the reality is how is it a White Paper. A White Paper is something you produce when you are ready to go into the Dáil with legislation.

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