Larry Butler (Fianna Fail)

I wish to raise the matter of St. Colmcille's Hospital as Senator Fitzgerald has already mentioned. There is a very serious issue there, with 16 deaths in the hospital related to this new bug, C. difficile. The microbiologist post that should have been filled some months ago has not yet been filled. The position is shared between St. Vincent's Hospital and St. Colmcille's Hospital and I do not think this is good enough. The Health Service Executive must take responsibility for this as must the management of the hospital, who allowed this to happen.