Charlie O'Connor (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)

I do not have a safe seat. The Deputy need not worry. He probably has the safest seat in the House. I am working on what I am doing and I am always happy to acknowledge what my friends in Tallaght Hospital did for me and many others. While I do not want to single out one department ahead of another, I am always in awe of the work of the cardiac rehabilitation team, which does a tremendous job.

Tallaght Hospital is deserving of the support of all of us. Deputy Finian McGrath spoke about Beaumont Hospital. Like every other hospital, Tallaght Hospital gets picked on. A massive Sinn Féin protest took place outside the hospital last Saturday, involving, I understand, four protesters. Last week Deputy Twomey visited the hospital without me and addressed a meeting about health care. While in a democracy that may be fair enough, I am always more positive about such matters.

I take every opportunity to support my local hospital and if I lived close to Beaumont Hospital I would do the same as Deputy Finian McGrath. My local hospital has a catchment, which not only includes the third largest population centre in the country but also stretches as far as Carnew, almost 70 miles away. Many good people come to Tallaght Hospital for its services.

I am always happy to stress that Tallaght Hospital should not just be about cut fingers and illnesses, it also has a clear role to play in the development of our health services and can do a considerable amount in the area of health promotion. While I do not want to again talk about the cardiac area, those familiar with the building will know of the "heart walk" pathway right through the building. Many people especially on cold winter days have the opportunity to walk there. I am always happy to promote that as it is important that health promotion should get a considerable amount of our attention.

That is not to say that I do not share concerns about accident and emergency because I do. We need to continue to apply pressure in that regard and to support the staff in every way. I have often had the opportunity to talk to front line staff in the accident and emergency department in Tallaght Hospital who have told me about their problems and difficulties. As I am known to some patients, when I go there I am sometimes asked if I have come to check. I do not go to check. When I go it is usually to visit neighbours and to support what the hospital does. I hope we will continue to do that in all our hospitals.

During the remainder of this debate, we will hear much discussion of the Bill, the services and what we are trying to achieve. I hope that we will not engage in silly political point making, although I have no problem in dealing with that and having such debates. I am particularly proud of what we have achieved in Tallaght Hospital and throughout the region with the development of health services. I will continue to be as strong as anybody and stronger than most in stressing to the Minister the need for resources, which is what the public is telling us.

As I go about my business people talk to me about health services with other issues. While this is certainly an issue, I will not wait the remaining 900 or so days until the next general election to go around Tallaght and the rest of my area listening to what people are saying. I do so on a daily basis and am always happy to do so. It is important that we continue to do that. We need to take those opportunities to listen to what people say, both negative and positive, and represent those comments in these debates.

The programme for last Sunday's Gilbert O'Sullivan concert contained a note suggesting, "Think negative, but always act positive". In terms of what we are trying to achieve in this debate, I hope we will always do that. I have no problem with colleagues listing the difficulties, as I have done. I am not afraid to make representations about the difficulties. Where there have been cases in Tallaght of people unable to get through the system and get a bed quickly enough or get the services they require, I have not been afraid to take on the bureaucracy.

We need to continue to strongly support the initiatives to reduce waiting lists. Not only in Tallaght but also throughout the country, people are concerned about waiting lists and the manner in which appointments are delayed. We must continue to voice those concerns while also making the point the hospital authorities often stress to me that people fail to show up for appointments for all sorts of reasons, which leaves others without appointments.

I thank the Minister of State for his attention and I wish him well.

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