Frances Fitzgerald (Fine Gael)

It seems nobody in our health service has the management expertise, the commitment or whatever needed to ensure our hospitals are able to meet hygiene standards. I want to quote from the report released today to the effect that not one of our country's 51 hospitals has been found to have very good hygiene standards, according to a new hygiene audit.

We have had ten years of the Celtic tiger and management of the health service by a Fianna Fáil-led Government. The first independent national hygiene audit, published today, says that not one of the country's 51 public hospitals has been found to have very good hygiene standards. It goes on to make recommendations that there should be a national set of indicators for monitoring hygiene, infection control and performance. It is about time because many people have had parents in hospitals where they have contracted MRSA and some have died as a result. Last week we heard about dirt on a machine in Portlaoise.

This is a very disturbing report. It is compounded by a second report on an international study of mortality from breast cancer. This says Ireland has one of the highest rates for breast cancer in the western world. We certainly need the Minister to attend the Seanad and it was a cross-party wish last week that she should be in the House to discuss the serious issues raised which have been added to by this week's two reports.

Will the Leader request the Minister for Health and Children to come to the House because the Seanad should be in a position to raise these matters with her, ask questions about the role of the Department of Health and Children and the Health Service Executive, and hear who will be accountable for the types of reports we are seeing today?