Brendan Ryan (Labour)

The Department made the huge concession of agreeing on six months for this man's spouse. This man is a world class researcher. Fortunately he agreed to put up with this nonsense. That is the way our Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform deals with people.

I raised yesterday the issue of the 250 missing migrant children. If those children were Irish, the country would be in a state of outrage. They arrived here and became our responsibility, no matter what anyone says, and they have now gone missing. When we try to raise the issue, we get inflammatory speeches about asylum seekers from the Minister responsible. This creates a climate in which it is impossible to have a serious debate on immigration.

A major announcement about hospital capital funding will be made today. Will someone confirm that with each capital provision regarding staffing and equipment will be included and that we avoid yet another saga of buildings lying empty for years? Building hospitals without staff is nonsense and it is time the Department of Finance and the Department of Health and Children got their acts together and agreed that when a building is erected, there should be a commitment to staffing and equipment for it.