Mary Henry (Independent)

I support Senator Terry's comments on the Intoxicating Liquor Bill, which is complicated legislation. Perhaps there could be a bigger gap between Second and Committee Stages.

We all know there is a grave shortage of acute hospital beds in this city, not least in the children's hospitals. A few months ago the Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children with special responsibility for children, Deputy Brian Lenihan, attended a debate in the House on the fostering of children in the course of which I pointed out that, sometimes, children who required fostering were placed in acute hospital beds in the children's hospitals by the social services. While I am sure the Minister of State did not mean to misinform the House, he said this practice was being phased out.