Mary Henry (Independent)

Senator Norris is right to welcome the announcement by the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Hanafin, of the increase in the number of places in medical schools. I suggest we debate non-Government motion No. 5, in my name and the names of other Independent Senators, which, in June 2005, urged that this should happen.

Could the Leader invite the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children to the House to inform us of the seismic shifts she proposes in consultants' ability to work in private and public hospitals, which she announced last night? I have not found any members of Government parties who know anything of these changes. We are in the process of changing consultants' contracts and I find it impossible to encourage my former colleagues in that area to become meaningfully involved in a matter where there seems to be no joined-up thinking.

We are encouraging doctors to set up private hospitals by providing tax relief. We are building private hospitals in the carparks of public hospitals and at the same time we insist the consultants cannot co-exist between these hospitals. The private service has always had to piggy back on the public service because many of the private hospitals do not have the facilities to treat patients who become seriously ill. Must such patients be referred to other consultants? We must discuss this because it seems the Government parties have not discussed this.