Pearse Doherty (Sinn Fein)

Ba mhaith liom cur leis an méid a dúirt an Seanadóir Ó Tuathail ag cuartú díospóireachta ar chúrsaí Gaeilge agus Gaeltachta. D'iarr mise go dtarlódh seo tamall fada ó shin agus d'iarr Seanadóirí eile, ina measc an Seanadóir Brian Ó Domhnaill, an rud céanna. Tá an díospóireacht sin práinneach. Tá an tuarascáil againn agus tá sé ráite ann go bhfuil 15 bliana fágtha ag an nGaeltacht. Ba cheart go mbeadh plé sa Seanad fá dtaobh den cheist sin.

Ba mhaith liom fosta iarraidh ar an Leas-Cheannaire ceist a chur ar an tAire Sláinte agus Leanaí, an Teachta Mary Harney, a theacht isteach go dtí an Seanad. There is no doubt the Minister must return to the House. On the previous occasion she appeared, the Minister referred to so-called cutbacks. Regardless of the spin relating to figures and increases at budget time, patients do not care about the additional funding being made available to the HSE. All these people are concerned about is why hospitals are reinstating service levels that applied two years ago. The hospitals are going backward rather than forward. Patients on medical cards are concerned when they cannot have their prescriptions filled immediately. The Minister cannot answer questions in respect of these matters.

As stated in last week's debate on patient safety, the Government is hiding behind the Minister and she is hiding behind the HSE. It is time we engaged in an honest debate regarding all the issues that affect the health service. A Senator on the Government side referred to the need for people to wash their hands in order to stop the spread of MRSA. Everyone knows that is an important factor. However, isolation units and additional beds are also important. I am familiar with a nursing home in Donegal where, on foot of cutbacks, there are no cooking staff available at weekends and where a carer who is charged with looking after two patients with MRSA is obliged to enter the kitchen and prepare food. That is why MRSA is prevalent across the health system.

I interrupted Senator Regan when he was referring to the Lisbon treaty because some weeks ago when I informed the House that Fine Gael and Labour MEPs support the Pisani-Ferry report on tax harmonisation across the EU, the Cathaoirleach stated that I should leave the matter until the debate on the Bill. We have already had a month's worth of statements on this matter. I am the only person in this Chamber who will publicly vote against the Lisbon treaty.