David Norris (Independent)

I agree with Senator Harris and others who spoke about how wonderfully exciting and heartening it was to listen to the radio broadcasts about the Chilean miners. They were in a very dark place, but their community with courage, determination and ingenuity got them out of it, which is a lesson for us. We are in a dark place and can certainly get out of it. I was astonished to hear Senator Boyle suggest that those of us on this side of the House never criticise the ratings agencies and even gloat when they come out with bad news for us. I have consistently and scathingly attacked the ratings agencies from this side. Senator Dearey said we did not understand the depth of the recession. Everybody on this side, including myself, has a pile of e-mails and letters from people who are terribly agonised. We need to reply to them immediately because some of them state they are on the point of taking their own lives. None of us underestimates the scope of the crisis we are in.

I ask for a debate on the siting of the new children's hospital at the Mater Hospital. At the beginning of the process I made a request, which had been passed on to me from consultants, that there should be an international peer review, which would have taken only a week; that should have been done. There were many suggestions about the politicisation of the decision given that it was in the constituency of the then Taoiseach, Deputy Bertie Ahern. While I do not know about the rights and wrongs of that, we should have looked at it. The site is in my area and it is in my interest to have it there, but I believe it is the wrong place because the site is not appropriate. I heard a distinguished doctor mention that they will now need to expand with great ingenuity what is there even though it looks pretty on the drawing board.

Is it realistic in this climate to expect funding of €110 million from philanthropy? Yesterday when I asked somebody, who is involved, what this philanthropy was I was told that most of it would come from national lottery funds, which is not philanthropy. There is a significant funding gap and I believe the taxpayer will be landed with the bill. I believe the site is inappropriate for access reasons. We do not know whether the metro north will proceed - I hope it does. I have always supported it, but it may well not proceed.