Liam Twomey (Fine Gael)

First, I want to comment on the issue regarding the mental hospitals. I ask the Leader to have an urgent debate on this issue. Specifically, a number of facilities are due to close in February with no alternative in place and it seems strange that one agency in the State can dictate that these centres are supposed to close in February next and that the other State agency responsible for looking after patients who have mental health problems states it has no money to provide alternative accommodation. We will see patients with mental health problems being essentially squashed in to existing overcrowded facilities and that will not work. I want a serious debate on that issue and answers from the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney, when she comes in.

We all welcome the Saville report but the insight of an Irish version of the Saville report would not go astray either. We are good at commenting on incidents that happened outside of this jurisdiction but often we have failed to have clear, transparent and accountable versions of the Saville report for atrocities that happened during the Troubles on Irish territory.