Liam Twomey (Fine Gael)

In the health supplement with yesterday's The Irish Times there was an article on the need for this country to set up its own umbilical cord blood bank. I ask the Leader to arrange a debate on the issue because umbilical cord blood can be used to cure many childhood leukaemias, but there are also major prospects of developing the IT sector in that regard because this is high end stuff. We can use umbilical cord blood in stem cell research and to cure other illnesses, not just leukaemias. We should have an urgent debate on the issue.

I, too, ask that Senator Callely come into the House to give a comprehensive answer on the issues raised about him.