Margaret Cox (Fianna Fail)

It is difficult to speak today about anything other than the Ferns report but there are people better able than I to speak on it. Last evening, the Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children, Deputy Seán Power, spoke on behalf of the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children about the implementation of the regional health fora and plans to establish them.

Members will recall the debates in this House in 2004 on the legislation establishing the Health Service Executive. They will also recall the promises that there would be continued local involvement in the health service. We approved legislation that disbanded, at a sweep, all local accountability for the health services and Members on both sides of the House accepted the assurance that the health fora would be established. However, the Minister of State informed Senator Bannon on the Adjournment debate last night that there must be consultation with, among others, the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and that he did not know when the fora would be established.

That is not good enough. I ask the Leader to arrange a debate on this issue. In Galway city on Monday night, people were arriving at the accident and emergency department every three and a half minutes. There were 20 people in the department overnight. We should not have to discuss this in the Seanad. It should be discussed locally but there is no forum in which to do so. We gave away that right. The Minister for Health and Children should come to the House and explain why she has not implemented what was promised in 2004 and why there is no local accountability in the regions for health services.