Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

I welcome the reference by the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney, to the earlier question I put to her. While that may be the experience in the circle of acquaintances to whom she has spoken, would she recognise that others may have a very different experience and that the visiting opportunities of people is an integral part of the curative process of those who are ill and hospitalised? Real concerns are being expressed, particularly, in the cases I have noted, by family of older long-stay patients. This is causing great concern.

There is every argument for particular straightening of visiting opportunities but restrictive curtailment on the back of the MRSA issue — the two are linked — suggests that visitors were the cause or the most significant contributing factor to the presence of MRSA in hospitals. That is not the case, and it is dumping on visitors. Visitors are an integral part of the address of any illness that a hospital patient may present with. It is simply not acceptable to look to that as the panacea for MRSA or to distract from the other major contributory causes such as the standards of cleanliness, upkeep and maintenance. I appeal to the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children to look again at this. It is the wrong course to take.

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