Liam Twomey (Fine Gael)

In view of the fact that co-location has effectively been abolished as Government policy, will the Leader inquire of the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney, the policy regarding capital developments in the health service? For the past four years, the Minister has continually stated that the only way to create additional beds in the public health system would be through the process of co-location.

Will the Leader request that the Minister for Finance come before the House to engage in a debate on the benchmarking process? It is unbelievable that we are allowing civil servants to retire at the age of 50 when two years ago we were told we had to increase massively the salaries of those same people to bring them up to parity with the private sector. There is something seriously wrong with Government policy in that regard. It is another gross failure that will cost the taxpayers millions of euro every year.

Regarding the new national asset management agency, NAMA, that is being set up by the Government to handle €90 billion of toxic assets, the Government must explain where are those toxic assets and give us a breakdown on them.