Donie Cassidy (Fianna Fail)

Senator MacSharry raised the matter of inconsistencies concerning HIQA, the HSE and 130 nursing homes accommodating 17,000 senior citizens. I have no difficulty in having an all-day debate on this matter. The Minister for Health and Children will be back in the House on at least two occasions before the summer recess. Today is one of those days and Senators can use it to bring these points to her attention.E

Senator Hanafin referred to interruptions on the Order of Business. This is an issue for the Leas-Chathaoirleach and I will leave it to him to deal with. Senator Mary White pointed out the serious and alarming figure of a 25% increase in suicides from 2008 to 2009; the number was 547.