Mary White (Fianna Fail)

Members should ask the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Mary Harney, to come before the House to speak on the reorganisation of the Health Service Executive. The work in which I am involved at present on suicide prevention in the new Ireland has enabled me to learn a vast amount about the HSE organisation. I have concerns about the HSE, which is the largest institutional employer in Ireland. It employs 100,000 people and has a budget of €14 billion. At present 11 positions are designated for the suicide prevention officers who are critical to suicide prevention efforts and families recovering from suicide. Four out of these 11 positions are unfilled. I want to know why the HSE's national director of population health, Dr. Patrick Doorley, cannot get four people out of 100,000 to fill those positions. It is time we stood up to be counted on this.