Charlie O'Connor (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)

My family were able to go from the inner city to St. Kevin's, which is now St. James's, the National Children's Hospital, the Adelaide, Sir Patrick Dun's and Mercer's Hospital, where I had my tonsils removed. I feel strongly about the cluster of small hospitals, including St. Luke's.

Thank God, I have never been a patient of St. Luke's but I have visited it on many occasions and I agree with Deputy Quinn in regard to its sense of peace and calm and the professional manner in which patients are treated there. A good friend of mine was a former nurse at the hospital for some of its 56 years and she always told me about the way people were looked after. I acknowledge the positive contribution it has made to the Dublin region and the entire country over many years. I assure the Leas-Cheann Comhairle that I am a proud Dubliner.

I intend to speak about my local hospital in the context of this Bill but Deputies need not worry that I will refer to Tallaght for its own sake.

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