Seanad debates

Wednesday, 20 April 2011

3:00 pm

Photo of Fiona O'MalleyFiona O'Malley (Independent)

I compliment the new Government on two areas. First, the Minister for Education and Skills has taken to his new job with great enthusiasm. I particularly like the way he is in consultation with Catholic agencies, concerning their participation in, and examination of, church patronage. I very much welcome that process and wish him great success with it.

Second, I think the Government is doing a good job regarding Oireachtas committees, by minimising the number of them and deciding to hold a referendum to obtain strengthened powers for those committees, which are necessary.

I agree with what Senator O'Toole said earlier about the need to pick continually at the scab which is the banking crisis and why it happened. I do not think we necessarily need to do that, so I endorse what Senator O'Toole said about moving the country forward and focusing on that rather than expending energy on blaming people.

I also agree with what Senator Darragh O'Brien said about the need for the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport to attend the House, but not for the same reasons. We need to revisit the viability of some of the projects referred to. While I accept what Senator O'Brien said about jobs being lost and money wasted, we need to look at the long term and whether these are good, viable projects.

Are the right economic criteria there for it? I would welcome that approach and the Minister should welcome a debate on the best way forward.

In this era of reports, I would like the next Seanad or health committee to discuss the report on miscarriage misdiagnosis in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, which has been overlooked. Nothing could be more traumatic. The report highlights that the hospital is a dangerous place for sick women and that needs to be said. If I was in that area and in need of services, I am not sure I would want to go there. We need to examine this issue. There is a history of misogyny around that hospital and it needs to be investigated and eliminated.

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