Liam Twomey (Fine Gael)

It is important to have these types of debates. Senator Feeney knows my views on Dr. Neary. I was extremely critical of the way some people tried to let him off the hook. We must be fair in acknowledging what people did. When his malpractices were identified, Finbar Lennon, Ambrose McLoughlin and the senior nursing director in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital went into the hospital one weekend and gathered enough information to make the allegations stick. They acted when they were informed by two midwives working in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital who were in contact with a solicitor for the health board. That is how it happened. This is the type of debate we need in this House, one in which we give the facts and inform the people about what is happening. While at times I would like the Minister, Deputy Harney, to be accountable and transparent in her contributions in these debates, we need more such debates. We are not serving the patients of this country. We blather on about money, statistics and how to reduce things. Services have already been restricted in my local hospital in Wexford and community care services in Wexford have been cut back. That also applies to services elsewhere throughout the country. It is not getting any better. We need to be more honest about what we say inside and outside this House.