Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

I too support fully the call by Deputy Kenny for an increase in the time allocation for statements on this important issue. We have to view the proposition in the context of the Minister continually referring the bulk of parliamentary questions to her to the HSE. Up to six in every ten questions are virtually kicked to touch and Members are denied access to the information flow that was ordinarily the experience in the House in previous years. We have only one opportunity in the month to table Priority and Oral Questions. No appropriate forum is provided in the Chamber for engagement on a raft of issues of concern to the populace in the health area. It is incumbent, therefore, on Government, in light of all the information and the critical news breaking daily about women's suffering in this area, that the request be accommodated in a real and substantive way. The request placed to Government by the collective Opposition voice is reasonable and must be acceded to.

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