Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

If the Deputy reads the Travers report, there were two meetings on 10 March. There was one meeting at 9.30 a.m. to discuss the new units. The Deputy may recall that there were difficulties trying to open new units at the time, which caused a lot of pressure. I met the officials at approximately 9.30 a.m. I had hourly meetings that day, up to approximately 7 p.m. or 8 p.m.

In the official published diary, there was no meeting scheduled with the Secretary General on the business plan. In the manuscript version of the diary, there is an insertion in handwriting which suggests that the meeting was sought that day to sign off on the business plan. The business plan consists of 400 odd pages. As I said to Mr. Travers, I do not recollect any discussion at that particular meeting of the kind mentioned in the Secretary General's speech. Furthermore, during the preparation and consideration of the Health Service Executive Bill, no proposals ever came to me that legislation relating to this matter should be inserted.

See this speech in context