Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael)

I congratulate my constituency colleague, Senator Diarmuid Wilson, on his appointment. I hope it will keep him in Dublin and the House and that we will have less of him at home.

Will the Leader organise a focused debate to examine the degree of bloated administration in the HSE, cutbacks in renting buildings and wastage in general through a plethora of unnecessary meetings? I am horrified at the decision to remove cancer services from Cavan General Hospital and ask the Leader to convey my horror to the relevant Ministers. What is the timetable for this? What transport arrangements will be put in place to deal with this difficulty? What are the full implications of the removal of an excellent and highly reputed service from Cavan General Hospital?

Will the Leader find out specifically why in God's name a locum is not appointed for an anaesthetist who is on holidays? Senator Norris raised this matter previously but it is mind-boggling that the services of a hospital would be held up in this way. It does not constitute a tightening of finances; it is a false economy obscenity and it is bizarre and unacceptable. Will the Leader find out how we can rationalise and justify the removal of ten medical beds from Monaghan hospital parallel with the removal of cancer services from Cavan General Hospital? It is a bleak situation I want the Leader to address.