Fergal Browne (Fine Gael)

I agree with Senator O'Meara's request that the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children come to the House to debate the latest reports on caesarean sections. The controversial issue of home births should also be debated. Many mothers who wish to give birth at home are being prevented from doing so by the health services.

As it is May the end of the school year is approaching. Schools are learning of their allocations of funds for special needs assistants and in some cases are being refused temporary accommodation for school building programmes. The schools building programme is chaotic. It is time that the Health and Safety Authority investigated school buildings in the same way they investigated hospital accident and emergency departments. Children are taught in outrageous conditions. Schools sometimes do not have fire escapes or classroom windows. Following the success of the health and safety report on hospital accident and emergency departments we should now examine primary and secondary school buildings from a health and safety perspective for the sake of students and teaching staff.