Seanad debates

Wednesday, 1 November 2006

3:00 pm

Fergal Browne (Fine Gael)

I support calls for a debate on fireworks. I was not on the Naas Road last night but in Carlow where hundreds, if not thousands, of fireworks lit up the skies. I followed gardaĆ­ on the beat into an estate and observed how ludicrous is the current position when the gardaĆ­ in question were unable to apprehend those letting off fireworks directly in front of them. Those involved included small children for whom no one appeared to take responsibility.

The laws on fireworks should be standardised North and South. The farcical nature of the current position is demonstrated by the fact that every firework set off last night was illegal. Is it workable in a small island to have fireworks freely for sale in the North and prohibited in the South? If fireworks were sold here legally, it would be possible to control their quality and thereby reduce the number of injuries. It would also be feasible to trace fireworks when injuries occur.

I ask the Leader to arrange a debate on an important issue in the health service. Recent figures for the number of outpatients awaiting appointments with consultants are far higher than expected. There is also a huge deficit of information. Last June, the Joint Committee on Health and Children requested information on the National Treatment Purchase Fund to see how it compared with procedures carried out in the public sector. We are still waiting for that information. The Department has refused to give it to us. We are working in a vacuum. Although compliments have been paid on how well the health service is working, we really do not know how it is working. There should be a debate on the National Treatment Purchase Fund and the outpatients issue.

Will the Leader also arrange a debate on MRSA? At the weekend I was told about a pregnant lady who went to hospital to have a scan. She happened to have a wound on her ear and contracted MRSA when getting the scan. She faced the horrible choice of going on antibiotics, which would affect her baby, or not doing so and running the risk of her baby being born with MRSA. It is outrageous that people cannot go into hospital for simple procedures without running the risk of contracting MRSA due to the negligence of the hospital authorities.

Today the drift net fishermen are protesting outside the House about the buy-out plan. A few years ago there was a similar case with the sugar beet growers. The Government appears to have turned its back again on the growers. As the budget is due to be introduced shortly, perhaps the Leader would arrange a debate on compensation for the sugar beet growers. This compensation has been delayed due to court action as a result of dithering by the Government. I also understand the growers will be liable to tax on their compensation payments, even though they did not want to leave the industry. The Government ensured the wipe-out of the industry but the beet growers, through no fault of theirs, will now be liable to tax on their compensation whenever they get it, and that could take years.

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