Donie Cassidy (Fianna Fail)

On the Order of Business, I am pleased to inform the House that the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney, will come to the Seanad next Tuesday to contribute to our open-ended debate on breast cancer services. I hope all other health matters can be discussed on that day. I propose that we have an open-ended all-day discussion, with time limits on Senators who wish to speak. Every Member who wishes to participate and contribute will be able to do so next Tuesday. The Deputy Leader endeavoured last week to hold the debate this week, but the constraints of the Minister's diary meant it was not possible. The Minister, Deputy Harney, has been to this Seanad twice in this session. When she gave Senators a lengthy update on various sectors of the health service, she was complimented by many Members.

This is a difficult time for the Minister, as she tries to tackle these problems, which are not caused by money and which we have spent years trying to solve. I would love to hear statements from all political parties. I can remember all political parties who participated in Government over the years saying, "Yes, the people need it, we would love to do it but we have no money". The Government is giving the HSE almost €15 billion but now the recipe is wrong.

The country is suffering without the contribution of the hard-working nuns of Ireland who managed our hospitals so thoroughly and so well over the years.