Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I would need approximately ten minutes because what is going on is a disgrace. As a Deputy from Dublin, the Acting Chairman would not like to see his constituents wondering how they are going to get to their hospital appointments.

Something must be done and I ask the Minister of State to sit down with officials from the HSE in my region and draw up a policy on who can and cannot be brought to hospital appointments. Let us not have a situation where this poor creature who has had liver and kidney transplants could not make her hospital appointment last week because the HSE would not bring her to it. If that is not cruelty, what is it? We have more respect for the rich flying in for the All-Ireland finals and the Ryder Cup and who will not pay their taxes in this country, but we will not look after our elderly. It is a disgrace.

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