Brendan Daly (Fianna Fail)

I support Senator Finucane's request to raise with the Minister for Health and Children his proposals for the radiotherapy unit in Limerick. The Minister will be aware that the Limerick proposal, in conjunction with a Dublin hospital, is already partly funded and will, therefore, not require enormous funding. In view of the urgency of obtaining a decision, will the Leader ask the Minister what is the status of the application and when we might have a decision on it?

Senators have commented about the curtailment of time on the Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003. A long-standing procedure in the Oireachtas allows for each section of a Bill to be taken by allocating limited time to each in order that they can all be debated within the overall time allocated. If the Whips could agree, it might be possible to have an arrangement whereby each section could be given adequate time for debate in order that one would not have a confusion of ten or 12 sections at the end of the period.