Fergal Browne (Fine Gael)

Will the Leader prioritise a debate on the MRSA superbug at the start of the next session? A lady from Kilkenny spoke to me on the issue this morning and there is significant anxiety among the public about it. Over 200 people attended a meeting in Dublin last week on the issue and over 100 attended a meeting on the issue in Kilkenny a few weeks ago. I have written to the HSE and the Department of Health and Children about the matter, but weeks later I still await a reply. This suggests they are not on top of their briefs. Officially, over 550 people died last year from MRSA, but the figure could be far higher. We should prioritise this debate in the new session.

I agree with Senator Finucane regarding increased gas and electricity charges. If the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources did his job instead of sorting out Fianna Fáil problems in Castlebar, perhaps we would not face such regular high increases.