David Norris (Independent)

It happened yesterday and today also. We are constantly being chided by the media for the fact that these benches are not always full, even though they know we are in our offices, yet where are they when we want them? This is a very important matter and it did not receive the wide public dissemination it should have.

I agree with Senator Brian Hayes about the Mater Hospital site for the new national children's hospital. We should examine this matter, which I raised yesterday. Today there have been calls by the consultants involved in various hospitals for the establishment of an international peer review. Such a review would only take three to four weeks, so it would not hold up the process. It may well be that the Mater Hospital site will still be chosen. It is a very good hospital but while it is a fine site, it may not be capable of the kind of expansion necessary in future.

The need for a debate on rendition flights was ventilated yesterday.