Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)

The legislation has been promised for a long time. We are still awaiting it. While we wait patients throughout the country are suffering severe pain as they wait for serious medical procedures. They cannot get access to hospital for those procedures. What is wrong? You, a Cheann Comhairle, should be familiar with the situation having observed all the hospital activities in your own region. The public is asking why ill people who are urgently in need of various procedures cannot get into hospital. For God's sake, will the Taoiseach bring into the House the two relevant Bills, the eligibility for health and personal social services Bill and the health information Bill so that at least we would have an opportunity to discuss the issue? Nobody in the Health Service Executive is interested. The Minister is not present and I have not had an answer, nor has anyone else.

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