John Paul Phelan (Fine Gael)

I agree with the Senators who spoke about the difficulties witnessed on our streets on St. Patrick's Day. It is now time to have a debate in this House and elsewhere on ways through which we can reclaim our national day from the scenes that have become all too prevalent in recent years. There are examples of this throughout the country, particularly in Dublin, with incidents such as those that occurred on the DART and in other areas. It would be opportune to initiate a debate to examine what could be done in future.

Will the Leader arrange a debate on the structures of the Health Service Executive at the earliest possible opportunity? One of the Government's commitments when it was elected in 2002 was to shake up the health services but it has not done so. The health boards have been abolished but their underlying structures and officials are still in place, leading to extra levels of bureaucracy in the HSE. There are hospitals in which administrators are falling over one another but there are wings and wards in those hospitals without sufficient doctors and nurses to man them. It is important to debate this urgent matter.