Fergal Browne (Fine Gael)

—— oppose it but it is worrying to read in today's newspaper that the Taoiseach said yesterday there is a problem with a shortage of staff in the Bills Office, which is causing a delay in legislation coming forward. I ask the Acting Leader to investigate that matter. I have no difficulty explaining our expenses and our salaries but we should push as much legislation as possible through both Houses. It would be regrettable that because of a shortage of suitably trained staff legislation is not coming forward as quickly as should be the case.

I asked the Leader yesterday about compensation for beet growers but she did not reply to my point. It is disgraceful that beet growers who, through no fault of their own, saw their industry wiped out overnight, like the drift net fishermen, still have not received any compensation and may be liable to tax on any compensation they receive. I understand that in the case of drift net fishermen, their payments could be made over a three-year period to lessen the tax burden. It is important therefore that we ask the Minister for Finance to come into the House to explain the steps, if any, he can take to assist beet growers who are now without work in the beet growing area, have not been compensated and are caught in the middle of a court battle between Greencore and the State. That is not fair.

I have a motion about MRSA on today's Order Paper. Yesterday, the Minister admitted there were 285 known cases so far in the first six months of this year, which is disgraceful. While she correctly points out that the overuse of antibiotics is a cause, that is not the only reason. Unfortunately, many of the State's health facilities are failing in their duty of care in ensuring that when patients arrive with an injury, they are not discharged with an injury unrelated to the one for which they were admitted. That is not acceptable in 2006.