Charlie O'Connor (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)

I will knock on every door in Tallaght, Brittas, Bohernabreena, Firhouse, Templeogue and Greenhills to bring that message to the electorate. As is my custom, I will talk to and listen to people every day at my work and at the eight clinics I hold every week, as well as at the other activities in which I engage. I will listen to people's concerns, including those pertaining to health.

While people may discuss Navan Hospital with Deputy English, they certainly talk to me about Tallaght Hospital. I live within sight of the hospital and have been a patient there. I am very proud of my involvement with the hospital over the years. The current Ceann Comhairle appointed me to its planning board almost 20 years ago. I was on the hospital's management board as a nominee of the Eastern Health Board when it opened in 1998 and I feel strongly about it. Moreover, I am concerned by what I have witnessed there, as I visit it regularly to see friends. For example, my niece was there a few weeks ago. I have regular opportunities in this regard. The hospital faces issues and challenges that I am not afraid to raise and I will continue to so do on a regular basis. For example, I have strong feelings on the question of future cancer services in Tallaght Hospital and I believe that Tallaght must be one of the designated centres on publication of the Department's cancer report. I will be deeply unhappy otherwise.

Moreover, I have been consistent in my views on children's services at Tallaght Hospital. They were established in 1998 by a charter upheld by the Taoiseach, when the Adelaide, Meath and National Children's Hospitals all moved to Tallaght. At that time, there was a clear understanding that the children's hospital had been located in Tallaght and would remain there. Regardless of other decisions taken, the issue of the Mater Hospital, the location of the new super children's hospital and regardless of whether I live in Tallaght, it is clear to me that Tallaght's children's hospital services must be retained. This is my bottom line.

While I apologise for mentioning Deputy English so frequently, he was the previous speaker and I listened to him carefully. He referred to drugs services about which I have always been strongly supportive and proactive within the community I represent. All Members should feel strongly in this regard, as it is often extremely difficult to have such services accepted in some communities. However, they should be supported.

I am glad the Tallaght drugs task force and the various services in the Tallaght region, including the JADD group in Jobstown, the St. Dominic's services in Millbrook Lawns, the various community organisations in Tymon North, St. Enda's and Brookfield, are all doing tremendous work. The same is true for the Tallaght Rehabilitation Project in Kiltalown House, which had its new premises launched recently by the President. I am also highly supportive of the SWAN family support group in Springfield. I mention those groups and the latter in particular because the previous speaker made a point about how services are funded. I have no problem with the HSE monitoring such services or inspecting them. However, it sometimes occurs to me that it should be pressed home to the HSE that it allows some projects to fall through the cracks. It becomes unclear exactly what are the services, what they should provide, with whom do they compete, who should give them money and how much should be given. I make another plea on behalf of such local organisations and for the SWAN group, the family support service in the Springfield estate where I live. It needs such help in this respect and it is important to make this point.

I wish to make another general point on health services in Tallaght and I will mention the hospital again shortly. However, when issues such as safety and the adequacy of facilities and so on are discussed, I have referred several times, both in this House and as the Government convenor on the Joint Committee on Health and Children, to the development of primary care services in the Tallaght area. Some fine health centres now operate in Tallaght. I refer in particular to the Mary Mercer centre in Jobstown.

However, while I do not wish to be parochial or to confuse Members on Tallaght's geography, a health centre exists in Millbrook Lawns in Tallaght. Some Members have heard me mention it more than once. I raise it regularly in the House and at HSE briefings. This centre was badly damaged by fire eight years ago and it is relevant to discuss it briefly in the context of the legislation under discussion. The HSE must understand by now that it is time to redevelop that centre. It is not good enough that staff, clients and the public must tolerate a building that was badly damaged by fire and that still awaits redevelopment. However, when the HSE confirms plans for its redevelopment, Opposition Members will claim this it only due to the forthcoming election. I will be obliged to tolerate this and to keep my focus. It is time to redevelop the Millbrook centre and this is another bottom line for me. Whatever happens to me in the election, I will still fight for those services. It is time the HSE did so.

Colleagues mentioned the HSE. I will not pile misery on it except to state it should be more pro-active than it thinks it is on issues brought to its attention by Deputies. I have a health board background, I attend all the briefings and I put down Dáil questions. The HSE claims it is trying to improve the system. However, it is frustrating to put down Dáil questions and receive holding answers. Professor Drumm was a bit vexed with me when I mentioned an occasion when the HSE phoned me to ask the location of Millbrook Lawns health centre. For a public representative such matters are a bit annoying to say the least. The HSE must continue to grapple with the problems before it.

They provide the service which people expect. It is about providing safe environments in which to provide health services, whether in health centres, doctors surgeries and, in my case, Tallaght Hospital. People from Tallaght use other facilities such as the Coombe, St. James's and even Beaumont. It is important to state that.

Regarding the Bill before us which I have been discussing——

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