Joe McHugh (Fine Gael)

I wish to raise the issue of the 600 public health doctors who have been on strike throughout the country for the past six weeks. Will the Leader impress upon the Department of Health and Children the need for the Department to intervene as a matter of urgency to address the doctors' gripes regarding a report which has not been implemented as well as pay structures? The doctors are willing to compromise, but they feel there is no intervention by the Department.

The National Disease Prevention Centre, which is run by public health doctors, has been closed for the past six weeks. The centre provides data on measles outbreaks and other figures. We have received no data in the last six weeks and we do not know if there has been an increase or a decrease in the incidence of measles. It is a matter of urgency that we get these public health doctors off the picket line as they are our front-line of defence in relation to infectious diseases such as TB, salmonella, meningitis and SARS. Given the imminence of the Special Olympics, it is important that the Leader impresses upon the Department of Health and Children that this strike should be resolved as a matter of urgency.