Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

We have arranged for a debate to take place about the keeping of files on the families of children with autism who had the temerity to take legal action against the State and I welcome the fact that we have a debate. To have a proper session on that, we need to have - if the Deputy speaking now might excuse me - a situation where the Ministers who are in the Cabinet who are or have been Ministers for Health, namely the Minister for Health, Deputy Donnelly, the Minister, Deputy Harris, the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste, available to answer questions in that debate. That is not part of the arrangements and needs to be which would mean that the debate would need to be a bit longer. I am also not in favour of shunting Deputy Pringle’s very important motion on direct provision off the agenda as it should be included in it. I propose that the Business Committee would meet today and arrange the debate in such a way. On that basis we do not accept the proposal as it stands.

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