Regarding the RTE health correspondent, Ms Aileen O'Meara, I said, "As far as I am concerned, she is a respected journalist." Some, both inside and outside this House, have deliberately chosen to misinterpret and misrepresent other remarks I made regarding the reporter which at the time were meant only to justify the assertion made during the debate that RTE and the Dublin based media in general had an undue influence on how policy was determined regarding the health service to the detriment of medical needs in the west. That was the essence of my remarks, and I challenge anyone to read the record of the debate and contradict me on that point. In the course of making that point, if any remarks in any way caused offence to Ms Aileen O'Meara who is a very well respected and competent journalist with RTE, I withdraw them and apologise to her as it was clearly not my intention to do so.