Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

If that were the case, we would not need infection control in hospitals with microbiologists. However, that is not my main point. In Ennis, for example, where there has been a significant improvement in infection control, it was not due to the presence of a microbiologist but to proactive steps that were taken to improve basic hygiene in the hospital to the extent that it now has a reduced incidence of infection. That is a statement of fact. Although the argument can be made that there should be more microbiologists in the system, one cannot jump to the conclusion that the presence or absence of a microbiologist in the hospital determines success in reducing the incidence of infection. The proof of this is what happened in Ennis.

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