Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for taking the time to be here. It is great to see. Sometimes one thinks that the shared island unit is for capital projects, but this research is funded by that unit and is free. The information is wonderful and very helpful.

Dr. Barrett mentioned Roscommon hospital. The latter because an issue ten years ago because many people, such as GPs, consultants and the HSE, just did not get involved. They left politicians try to explain something they might not have known about. Just ten years later, Roscommon hospital is twice as big and twice as busy. The hospital is much safer now, and hundreds of people are alive. Everyone knows that.

This is where the ESRI comes in. The ESRI is great at getting involved in politics. It can be very difficult and may not be a nice place to go, but if we are talking about an agreed Ireland, we need all the stakeholders such as the witnesses. When Paul Reid, Tony Holohan and many others were obliged to come out and speak publicly, they garnered people's respect. Those to whom I refer understood the health issues involved and were able to get the message across to communities. The vacuum was not filled by - I will not say nonsense - by statements that were not true. What I am trying to say is that there is a role for the witnesses - sorry to say - in the coming decades and for many other stakeholders, such as the HSE, the NHS, church leaders and others.

I thank the witnesses for coming here today. I wish them every success in their deliberations. The information they have provided is very helpful. It is real information the witnesses have sourced, and I thank them for it.