Phil Prendergast (Labour)

I became a Member of this House in September 2007 and every week since then there has been an issue relating to the HSE. We have had debates and legislation. We have dealt with issues such as autism, accident and emergency departments, waiting lists and curtailment of services. Senator Healy Eames detailed this morning how the intellectually disabled sector was being disadvantaged in Galway. We have talked about reconfiguration processes, and children with special needs and children with different diseases who need help but are losing SNAs. We have talked about all the issues that show how the HSE is not functioning.

It has now been stated that because there is going to be a shortage of junior hospital doctors when the changeover occurs on 1 July, certain services will be cut again. This is reconfiguration by the change that has happened regarding how doctors register here and how visas are allocated. Already we know that a crisis has been identified. I want the Minister to come to the House to discuss what she is doing about that. What services will be affected and where? What has it to do with reconfiguration? How can the two be separated?