Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)

I welcome the Tánaiste's agreement to meet representatives of the Cystic Fibrosis Association of Ireland. They have sought such a meeting for some time, but have been unable to extract a commitment to that effect from the Tánaiste. I look forward to the meeting.

Having read the Pollock report, does the Tánaiste accept that conditions are so severe and acute that it is not enough to establish a working group to put in place the short-term measures which are needed? She is simply not facing up to her responsibilities in this regard. Dr. Pollock has warned that the conditions in St. Vincent's Hospital, which is this country's major cystic fibrosis centre, are so acute that there is a serious risk of cross-infection from virulent organisms. If such an outbreak arises, it might result in litigation similar to that associated with the hepatitis C infection scandal. Such a warning deserves a response from the Tánaiste. She should not hive off her responsibilities in this regard to a working group that might produce a report or a national plan at some point in the future that could be months or years away. We face a serious risk in the meantime. Acute problems such as insufficient staffing, gross overcrowding and a lack of isolation, protection and safeguards are being encountered in St. Vincent's Hospital, where most cases of cystic fibrosis are dealt with. What is the Tánaiste doing to relieve such risks and pressures?

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