James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)

The motion before the House is very simple. It needs no amendment, unless a fudge is intended. I will read part of it into the record. It calls on the Minister for Health and Children and the Government to:

instruct the HSE to commence immediately the development of the urgently needed and life saving cystic fibrosis unit at St. Vincent's Hospital and thus provide 34 inpatient single en suite beds as part of a 120-bed development at St. Vincent's Hospital so that these facilities will be available in 2011.

It could not be clearer or simpler, so why do we need an amendment to it? Why is the period of nine months built into the amendment? That must surely raise concerns that have already been expressed by the Cystic Fibrosis Association of Ireland.

The Minister said earlier that she would not take lectures from anyone. Reading between the lines, however, it is easy to say that she will not listen to anyone. I hope she will listen today and will keep her word on this occasion. I also hope we will not see Orla Tinsley and many of her friends and distraught parents outside Leinster House in nine months' time with another 25 young people with cystic fibrosis having lost their chance of life. That is how many died in the past year.

Cystic fibrosis sufferers die up to ten years younger in this country. Let there be no more needless deaths. Let us give them the same fighting chance as their cousins North of the Border. I commend the motion to the House.

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