Dáil debates

Thursday, 2 March 2006

10:30 am

Photo of Enda KennyEnda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

Can I ask the Tánaiste about four Bills in her area of responsibility? Some 58 Bills were published in 2004 and 41 Bills were published in 2005. The number seems to be drying up now.

I commend the Tánaiste on meeting the representatives of the women to whom the Neary case relates. I am glad that the Government has announced it will establish a redress board to deal with the hurt and emotional scars of the women in question. It is commendable because it is the right thing to do.

Three times last year, the House was promised legislation to establish a nursing home inspectorate, but there is no sign of it. More than a year after the Supreme Court judgment on the charges imposed on people in long-stay institutions, there is no sign of legislation to provide for repayments to them. The Tánaiste is aware that many such people are reaching the end of their lives, but there is no sign of legislation to compensate them. The House has not been given an indication of when legislation to provide for the statutory establishment of the health information and quality authority will be brought before the House. There is no sign of the pharmacy legislation. I have referred to four important Bills.

In commending the Tánaiste on meeting the women involved in the Neary case, I ask her to agree to the request for a similar meeting that was made by Parents for Justice, which represents the parents of deceased children whose organs were removed for research purposes without their knowledge or consent, in its letter of 8 February last. The group would like confirmation that 54 boxes of material which were presented to the Tánaiste by Ms Anne Dunne SC, who conducted an inquiry into this matter, will not be destroyed as their contents have never been published. Will the Tánaiste confirm that the material will not be destroyed and that she will meet representatives of Parents for Justice to discuss their problems? We should have a debate on the report at an appropriate time.

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