Timmy Dooley (Fianna Fail)

Like other Senators I would welcome a debate on the future of the health services. We should compliment the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney, on the speed with which she has grappled with some of the very serious issues in her new Department. We should not get hung up on labels or terms for the future as it is all about the delivery of service. In the case of County Clare it is about the upgrading of the hospital, spending the €20 million that has been promised for some time and retaining the accident and emergency services in the hospital on a 24-hour basis. We should not have a tit-for-tat argument as to whether we proceed with the recommendations of the Hanly report. Let us move away from the labels and consider the people and the services that need to be delivered.