Donie Cassidy (Fianna Fail)

Senators Frances Fitzgerald, Paul Coghlan, Ivor Callely, Pearse Doherty and Jerry Buttimer expressed concerns about matters pertaining to the Health Service Executive. Senators might be aware that I made a commitment to endeavour to have the Minister visit the House on Thursday, 28 February. The request has been made and we await confirmation of an opening in her diary to enable this to happen. On the two occasions before Christmas when we invited the Minister to the House, she made herself available at very short notice and gave the Members a comprehensive report on the up-to-date position of the HSE matters under discussion. I am confident that if her diary can facilitate it, the Minister will come to the House. All the matters raised this morning can be discussed with her. She was the first Minister in this Seanad to take a question and answer session with Members and they were very grateful to her for that.