Feargal Quinn (Independent)

I will not get into the question of debating the mobile phone issue. All I remember is that in the past with almost every scientific development there are people who get scared about them. I have the same view on genetically modified foods. It seems to me that the future of Irish agriculture will depend on us adapting the most modern scientific methods of growing foods for the world, but let us debate that when the time comes.

I ask the Leader to draw the attention of the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney, to the development in Britain which they call the biggest revolution in Britain's National Health Service, NHS, in 60 years. As part of the coalition agreement in Britain, they have decided that doctors are to be given sole responsibility, rather than administrators, for patient care. They have decided to take the power away from the administrators and put the decision in the hands of doctors. When we made the decision here some years ago to do away with the health boards we established the HSE and to the best of my knowledge, we maintained all the administrators of all those various health boards. As in many other businesses and enterprises, the power should be in the hands of those who are looking after the final customer. In this case, it is the doctors who look after the care of patients. I really believe that is the direction to go. If the British coalition reached that as a deal that they would put into operation, and announced it yesterday, our health authority and the Minister should give serious attention to it during the next couple of months.