Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

That will give us a good opportunity to discuss it at greater length. I appreciate that.

To return to domestic matters, I know we are at the first anniversary of the Government and so forth, but last week I was in the north west and met many people there. I was struck that, a year after the general election, people were still talking about broken promises that were made in respect of that area. The Taoiseach may recall that during the election campaign the Labour Party promised that Sligo would become the ninth centre of excellence, while Fine Gael promised to return cancer services, which had been removed, to Galway. The current Minister of State, Deputy John Perry, went so far as to promise it within the first 100 days of office and said he would resign from Fine Gael if that did not happen.

In Donegal, the now Minister for Health, Deputy Reilly, visited Lifford and - as he did in many areas across the country at that time - gave categorical assurances that the 20-bed unit would "under no circumstances be closed". He said its proximity to the Border was one of the main reasons.

Even though HIQA's report stated Lifford provides excellent care, the Government is announcing, one year on, that Lifford is to be closed along with approximately another 800 community nursing beds across the country. Both Fine Gael and Labour promised more home care packages with additional funding to community care. Fine Gael went further to state home care packages would be applied fairly and consistently across the country.

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