Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)

It is now more than 3,000 days since the Fianna Fáil-Progressive Democrats Government took office and the health service is worse. It is now more than one year, 391 days since the Tánaiste, Deputy Mary Harney, was given a mandate to reform the Department of Health and Children. Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown is an indictment of the Minister's year of failure and the Government's 3,000 wasted days.

The long promised re-built hospital sanctioned and funded by the rainbow Government and by the sale of hospital lands, finally opened last year. This new building was to be the first phase of an ambitious programme to bring the hospital up to the standards of the other major Dublin hospitals. Phase two was to follow and include upgraded accommodation and acute medical facilities for older people. Phase two was also to include additional specialist services for children and for cancer patients.

Is the Minister aware of the state of unit four, unit five and other units in the hospital, which care for hundreds of elderly people who are looked after by the fabulous staff, particularly in the day hospital? These units date from the 1950s when the hospital began life as a TB sanatorium.

During her private visits to the hospital to sell tax breaks to consultants and developers, did the Tánaiste take the chance to look at these buildings, which would not be out of place in Romania? Does she know or care that because of her refusal to commit funds to the second phase——

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