Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

This is the ultimate example of lack of accountability in the political process. This is hands-off Government, hiving off issues to bureaucratic and administrative entities. The Minister for Health and Children should be in the House today but she is not. I want confirmation from the Tánaiste of the validity of the reports in today's newspapers that there are thousands of people walking around who may have serious medical conditions because the relevant GP referral letters are lying unopened in Tallaght hospital.

For that reason, I propose that the Dáil sit until 6.45 p.m. to allow statements from the Minister and from the Opposition and that there be time for questions and answers. This is much too serious for flippant responses. It is a matter of life and death. We in this House should put ourselves in the position of those patients who went to their GP more than a year ago and were told that a letter of referral would be written on their behalf to a consultant in Tallaght hospital only to find this morning that these letters lie unopened. We can imagine the crisis in those people's minds this morning. That is why it is important that we have accountability in this House and that the House sit until 6.45 p.m. to allow time for statements and questions so that we can get answers and get the truth. There must be no more of this lack of accountability in the forum of the people. This is another catastrophe brought down on us by a Government that has lost touch with reality, with the result that thousands of people may well have serious ailments that have not been diagnosed or are not being diagnosed.

See this speech in context