Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

All I can do is check into the individual case and try to be helpful to the people involved. On the general point concerning staff, 130,000 people work in our health service every day. They deal with approximately 1 million people per year. One of the nice things about being Taoiseach is the letters I receive from families all over the country acknowledging and praising everything from coronary and cancer operations to complicated gynaecological procedures, as well as heart and lung transplants. These procedures are carried out by health service staff every day, using the vast resources we are able to give them from taxpayers and the economy generally in order to improve matters.

I will not attempt to understand the background to the pump the Deputy mentioned. I do not know why it could not be provided, nor what the clinical assessment was. Neither do I know why it had not happened after the Tánaiste's office was informed on 24 May. Like all these matters, when one checks them there is some reason behind it. Deputy Rabbitte has given an undertaking to examine the matter on behalf of a decent family. Mr. O'Gorman is obviously concerned about his wife, Breda. The Deputy has raised the issue here and I will show due respect to that family by checking on the matter. I will let Deputy Rabbitte know what I can find out.

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