Feargal Quinn (Independent)

I support the comments of those, including Senators O'Toole and Maurice Hayes, who stated that while we are not sure how best to handle the process of impeachment, it is important that we deal with it. We must not put this matter aside and hope that it goes away. We must deal with it today.

There was a scheme in China many years ago under which doctors were paid not for the number of visits patients made to them but for the number of weeks they did not visit them. In other words, these doctors were paid for keeping people well rather than for looking after them. Will the Leader draw to the attention of the Minister for Health and Children a scheme that was introduced in Britain yesterday to the effect that family doctors can be paid up to £100 for every patient they keep out of hospital? In the region of 40 primary care trusts which pay for hospital services are said to be interested in this scheme. This appears to be an interesting scheme, similar to that in China, to which my attention was not previously drawn.