Derek McDowell (Labour)

On that issue and speaking as a northsider, one of the major benefits, if not the major benefit, to the north side of the tertiary treatment plant at Ringsend is that it transferred all of the sewage from the north side to the south side, which is ideally where it should be. It is something of a disappointment that it managed to get back, albeit as Senator O'Toole so articulately put it, in olfactory form. There is nonetheless a serious issue which affects people directly beside the new treatment plant in Ringsend. Local residents were led to believe there would be no nasty odours coming from it and clearly that is not the case.

I listened to most of Joe Duffy's "Liveline" programme yesterday, as I am sure did some other Members. It was excruciatingly embarrassing. On one level the programme was a bit trite and superficial but nonetheless it was appalling to have one of our major health care provision institutions, the Mater Hospital, effectively being reduced to the status of a pauper on the street looking for charitable donations. Accepting that the programme is superficial and trite, I hope it is played back time and again to those who are responsible for the health system. I hope that if nothing else it embarrasses them into doing something about it.

Listening to "Morning Ireland" on the radio this morning I was struck by Aidan Gleeson who is an accident and emergency consultant of some renown. We have heard stories told by people who have experience in recent months of what has been happening since the current Minister came to power. Mr. Gleeson is somebody who should know what is happening and he was able to tell us very clearly that in the past three months things have disimproved. That is in the face of a commitment given by the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children when she took up power that there would be noticeable improvements. There is a clear message coming from the professionals involved, not just from yesterday's programme, that it is time for Government to get the finger out and do something about this.