Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

I have been asked to respond to suggestions that there has been no improvement or that the situation is out of control. An endocrinologist who works in those two hospitals has said on public radio, although I did not hear him, that there have been improvements in infection control in these hospitals as a result of proactive steps taken by staff and consultants after previous incidences of infection. That is a statement from a person who works at the front line.

The suggestion is being made — perhaps this is a corollary to the argument made by Deputy Gilmore — that if a hospital has a microbiologist it will not have infections. That is not the case.

See this speech in context