Brendan Ryan (Labour)

I am not sure whether the third one is a fictitious item to cover the nakedness of the Progressive Democrats. Nevertheless, a debate is necessary on this issue. In view of the Government's extraordinary apparent decision to sell a majority of the State's shareholding in Aer Lingus, one must wonder whether any consideration has been given to the national interest in this matter.

Will the Leader agree to a debate on human rights with particular emphasis on that bastion of United States support in the Far East, Uzbekistan, where the authorities have been slaughtering their own people? If similar events took place in Cuba, an EU delegation and meetings of Foreign Ministers and the UN Security Council would ensue. These responses would be proper. Apparently Uzbekistan is to receive milder reproof.

It is now reported that decisions about capital allocations for hospital building this year will be made by the Tánaiste rather than the Health Service Executive. I would like a debate on this matter. At issue is not where the money goes but the withholding from the Health Service Executive, three months after it is set up, the ability to make major decisions based on professional assessments. The Health Service Executive is to inform the Minister for Health and Children of hospitals which need money but is not permitted to prioritise them because this might be made public under the Freedom of Information Act, resulting in embarrassment for the Tánaiste when, presumably, Tallaght hospital receives a large sum of money.