Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

It is important we try to get some facts on the record. On the second point on hospital infection, as a result of advances in microbiology, we can identify many of these infections in a way that they were never identified before. In Ennis, people died not because of that infection but with it, because when people are sick and vulnerable they are open to many infections.

Let us take what happened in Ennis as an example in value for money. As a result of management working with staff in Ennis General Hospital in the past number of months, they have significantly reduced the incidence of infection and great credit is due to them for doing it without the need for huge capital investment or cost. They reviewed procedures and practices and brought in some very practical methods of operation which have greatly improved the situation — much to their credit. I acknowledge that. There is a need for constant monitoring through the systems put in place by HIQA, the annual hygiene audits and the management changes of methods that have been instigated, of which we have the evidence in Ennis, for example, after a very serious situation there. Those people have got down to the business of trying to ensure that is not replicated and great credit is due to them in that regard. Deputy Joe Carey and others from Clare would be aware of that. In an interview on RTE last Friday, Dr. Donal O'Shea, a consultant in St. Vincent's Hospital, said there has been a significant improvement in hospital infection rates.

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