Joe O'Toole (Independent)

The House should acknowledge the progress made by the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Mary Harney, on pharmaceutical products. It was a very important step. For many years both sides of the House raised the need to address the issue. However long it took her, despite the fact that it was a difficult group to deal with, the Minister achieved a result, although we are quick to criticise.

While I offer my congratulations to one Minister, I have to show my complete bemusement with another Minister. Last night I spoke on and listened to the debate on the water issue in the House, on which the Minster for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy John Gormley, spoke. I have great respect for him and his agenda but in the course of dealing with the Fine Gael motion which proposed the establishment of a national water authority — I am not raising this matter from a disinterested point of view; I want to get the record right — the Minister responded by saying he was totally bemused, that could not see the sense in such a proposal and that he thought it would lead to privatisation. This seemed to be an over the top response. A few minutes later a number of Fine Gael Senators——