Dan Neville (Limerick West, Fine Gael)

I appreciate the Minister of State's undertaking. I ask him to consider another issue about which there is no point submitting a parliamentary question because it, too, would be referred to the Health Service Executive. In May each year the Fine Gael Party tables a parliamentary question to the Minister for Health and Children requesting statistics on deaths by suicide and various subcategories such as gender and age group for the previous two years. On submitting a similar question last week, I was informed the information was not available. I do not understand the reason statistics on the various categories of death by suicide are not available from the Central Statistics Office given that it was available in May of previous years. I appreciate a different Department may be responsible but, again, the absence of these statistics stymie debate on the issue of suicide.

I welcome an opportunity to discuss the Bill and appreciate the tolerance of the Leas-Cheann Comhairle in allowing me to ask the Minister of State for assistance in the matters I have outlined. Sometimes the reason doctors refuse to make a complaint against a colleague is not to cover up issues but because genuine protection is not afforded to doctors who are concerned about certain practices and wish to make a complaint. The Dr. Michael Neary case is a good example of how colleagues and other professionals may become concerned about the consequences of making a complaint.

See this speech in context