Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

I agree with the last remarks made by the Minister. Not only is that our hope for the future of Monaghan General Hospital, but I hope the Minister will do everything he can to ensure there will be enhanced service provision at the hospital into the future. It clearly has the capacity to cater to a much greater provision of services for the significant catchment, not only of County Monaghan but further afield and cross-Border, which the site presents.

It was not a question of whether the Minister had received Dr. Duffy's minority report; I have not had sight of it either. In the Minister's own words, he was not aware of the comments referred to but most certainly he was aware before he gave his reply here this afternoon because I made him fully aware of it at last week's meeting of the Joint Committee on Health and Children. I again conclude by asking for an assurance that Dr. Barry White's further consideration of the proposals in regard to the medical assessment unit siting at Monaghan is not constrained by the opinion presented in what is, finally, a flawed report. It is flawed because of the time constraints and the inability of the group to perform its task in line with the terms of reference as set out and with all the circumstances with which it had to contend.

Will Dr. White give the matter further consideration, taking the views into account, but wider than that, in the understanding that this will be a significant advance in terms of service provision at a key hospital site within the north east, something to which the Minister has indicated as having a warm disposition not that many months ago?

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