Camillus Glynn (Fianna Fail)

I support Senator O'Donovan in his remarks pertaining to the electoral register. I raised this matter yesterday and on a previous occasion. Senator O'Donovan referred to Bantry, where a number of people on the register had died. In Clonmore, the small area in which I live, up to recently there were three people on the register who have been dead a number of years. The electoral register process is an absolute and total failure and the best efforts of successive Governments have resulted in systemic failure. Senator O'Donovan might like to know that if people are to be removed from the register, they are entitled to written notification.

Today the chief executive officer of the Health Service Executive is visiting Mullingar regional hospital at my invitation, as I met him here some weeks ago. The House is aware that the hospital in Mullingar is one of the top three performing hospitals in the country. Professor Drumm will meet the leaders of all the sections of staff, including consultants, NCHDs, nursing, administrative and non-nursing staff. He will see at first hand how the staff in the hospital have attained that high degree of efficiency.

I hope the service which the staff of the hospital are giving, at a reduced allocation compared to other hospitals of similar size but which are not even on the same radar, will get the recognition it deserves in terms of specialties and allocation. I hope the consultant dermatologist vacancy will be filled and the second post which has been approved will be located in Mullingar. I fought hard for that consultancy but they could not find enough money and consequently the person who came left. All of a sudden, abracadabra, money was found for a second consultant.

Will the Leader have a debate on the HSE? I await with bated breath the outcome of Professor Drumm's visit to Mullingar.