John Paul Phelan (Fine Gael)

I join my colleagues in urging the Government to support the amendment to the Order of Business proposed by Senator Brian Hayes to allow for a debate on the nursing home scandal which was revealed on television on Monday night. It would be appropriate for the House to hold it this evening.

I ask the Leader to arrange to have the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children come to the House at an early opportunity to discuss the report of the task force on staffing in hospitals known as the Hanly report. In the last few months both this House and the other House were led to believe by Fianna Fáil spokespeople, Senator Dooley included, that the report was buried but now it seems ——