Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)

I would not even be able to deal with the allegation made against me in that time.

The events that unfolded in Portlaoise in recent weeks have lifted the lid on what is a totally dysfunctional health service. I will deal with the letter from Dr. Peter Naughton to the Minister, Deputy Harney, in 2005 warning of grave deficiencies in the services in Portlaoise. The Minister admitted last week that she was not even aware of this two and a half year old letter until a couple of weeks ago. How could such an oversight have emerged? The Minister surrounded herself with political advisers at a cost of €500,000 per year. These are the people in the Department who decide what mail the Minister sees and what she does not see.

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