Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)

It is about licensing and accrediting health facilities, which we have never done in this country but for which legislation is currently being prepared. It is about providing an information regime to allow information to be used to improve services to patients. This is the agenda for the next two years as far as health is concerned.

With regard to the issue raised by Deputy Gilmore, we do need a new rehabilitation hospital, but there is now a strong view that not all rehabilitation should happen in the capital and that there should be a decentralised approach. It would not make sense for me, on behalf of taxpayers, to invest resources in a strategy-----

See this speech in context