Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)

I am not out of order. I have two questions on promised legislation and I intend to ask them. We were promised the health Bill in 2006 to protect elderly people from institutional abuse. Will that legislation not appear until 2007? In the meantime, can we not have a short emergency Bill to at least give the authority that is in place, HIQA, some power to protect elderly residents of nursing homes? The Tánaiste might remember that the House was recalled to pass emergency legislation to bail out Mr. Larry Goodman. Are we not in a position to protect our elderly by introducing emergency legislation?

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