Mr. Mickey Brady:

Go raibh maith agat, a Chathaoirligh. I thank the Minister for his presentation.

I have sat on the health committee at Stormont for approximately seven and a half years. One of our main issues is health inequality, as illustrated in the Chief Medical Officer's report three years ago. It highlighted how, if one boarded a bus in central Belfast and travelled to Finaghy in the leafy suburbs, one would live nine years longer due to the lifestyles people were forced into having by deprivation, etc. I am unsure whether there is an urgent need to address anything like this in the South as there is in the North.

I agree with Deputy Martin Ferris in that it is regrettable that the Minister's counterpart in the North is not present and that there is no Unionist representative in attendance. It is important that this section of our community be represented.

The Minister mentioned out-of-hours services, particularly in south Armagh which forms part of my constituency. There are many examples of good co-operation, for example, the renal unit at Daisy Hill Hospital where six beds are reserved for people from north County Louth. This has made a major difference to users of dialysis services in that they do not need to travel to and spend the whole day in Dublin. They can go to Daisy Hill Hospital and be home by lunchtime, which is important in terms of the quality of life of those who must undergo this treatment.

According to figures made available two years ago, approximately 35,000 patients passed through Daisy Hill Hospital's emergency department.

Approximately 3,500 were from the South and the numbers are increasing. There are some very good examples such as CAWT, Co-operation and Working Together, with which I have had some dealings during the years. It provides a very good cross-Border and all-Ireland service. Incidentally, I have been to the hospital in Enniskillen which is state of the art. I am sure the former health Minister, Mr. Jim Wells, had a united Ireland in mind when it was commissioned, but I will not get too caught up in that aspect of the matter.

In terms of GAA healthy club projects, three of the Border counties come under the auspices of the Ulster Council which is based in Armagh. It is perhaps incumbent on the Minister to speak to his counterpart in the North about co-operation with the GAA clubs involved in the Border counties. It may be difficult because of the jurisdictional aspects for people from County Monaghan, for instance, to attend meetings in Armagh; it may not be feasible for them to do so and, apparently Mr. Tom Elliott, MP, MLA, is taking his seat at Westminster. He has refused and continues to refuse to have any dealings with the GAA. These are barriers that have to be overcome and it is incumbent on all of us, including the Minister, to raise the issue with the Minister for Health, Social Services and Public Safety, Mr. Simon Hamilton, MLA.