Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

They would never tolerate a similar situation in regard to a member of Government with responsibility for health in their country, who was off doing business somewhere else when the situation at home was in total disarray.

Make no mistake about it - this is a very serious matter. The fundamental basis of the relationship between general practitioners and consultants in our acute hospital sites is in tatters due to this revelation. I made reference to this yesterday in the course of the private notice question, HIQA indicated it had been brought to its attention that referral letters from GPs had remained unopened in Tallaght hospital. We have now learned there could be of the order of 30,000 unopened referral letters, as a GP claimed this morning on "Morning Ireland"

This is an incredible situation. The cry again of the people is: "Is this being investigated?" Who is carrying out the investigation? What are the terms of reference of that investigation? Is a thorough examination under way to confirm or assuage the fears of the people that this is not also the case applying in other hospital sites across the State? These are the critical issues.

We need to know what are the terms of reference of any investigation or inquiry into this matter before we leave this House today. Where were the consultants who have not carried out their work? What were they doing when they were not reading 58,000 X-rays or reading letters of referral from general practitioners? We are paying them. We want to know what they have been doing. What were they doing when they were supposed to be carrying out their duties? Who has oversight of their day's work?

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