Dan Boyle (Green Party)

I make two requests to the Leader for possible debates in the near future. On the conclusion of a court case yesterday involving the unnecessary death of a man's wife three years ago, through medical negligence, I seek a debate on how medical negligence is dealt with, how people receive information and whether such information is of a terminal nature. I have worked directly with the man involved and have direct experience of the frustration he has had in accessing such information. We are close to one year in the life of the new Health Information and Quality Authority. It would serve the House well to find out whether the system in place has helped fill many of those gaps. I suspect it has not. There is a need to identify why such an inhumane system still exists in terms of informing people of how the health system does not serve their best interests.

The second matter relates to the launch today by Comhdháil Oileán na hÉireann of a series of policy documents about how life on our offshore islands can be immeasurably improved by better action by the political system. It was launched today by the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. Given that the House has a particular brief to deal with minorities in Irish society and those who live on the periphery of Irish life, a debate on island life with the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs would be helpful.