Phil Prendergast (Labour)

I join with other speakers in asking the Minister for Health and Children to attend this Chamber. I met a former colleague the other day who was talking about attending a meeting on a summer bed cutting programme — and she was not referring to gardening. Unfortunately, she was talking about the closure of gynaecological beds during the summer period, when people might plan to undergo elective surgery.

I have asked in the past for a debate on the non-availability of adolescent psychiatric beds. There is a desperate need for such a debate and it has to be soon. I have put down a parliamentary question on the availability of beds and the geographical spread and the answer has yet to emerge from the HSE, although it is some time since it was tabled. I urge the Leader to seek to arrange the meeting with the Minister soon.