Geraldine Feeney (Fianna Fail)

Not having been present on the last occasion we sat, I am delighted to have an opportunity to echo the sentiments of gratitude to the Cathaoirleach, the Clerk of the Seanad, Ms Deirdre Lane, the deputy clerk, Ms Jody Blake, and the entire staff of the Seanad office for their excellent care and attention – I begin to feel like a patient – over the past four years. There was never a minute of any day on which they were not attentive and did not do their best for every Member, irrespective of party membership. I wish to be associated with other Senators in articulating this here.

I support Senator O'Malley, who asked that the Leader of the 24th Seanad, whom I hope will be the current acting leader, put on the agenda the issue of care in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda. I refer in particular to the care of women in that hospital. In this Seanad and its predecessor, we discussed the report into the activities of Dr. Neary and what happened to women at his hands. Now we witness another appalling vista in that women had miscarriages induced through no fault of their own only to discover there was nothing wrong with their foetuses, and that those foetuses were alive and healthy. I do not believe any other issue could have such a negative impact on a woman, or cause such remorse.

I support the Senators who called for us to revisit the concept of Seanad reform, and I hope the Leader will take this call on board. Every voice that has echoed the call for Seanad reform has been very sincere, particularly since the recent election campaign.

I support Senator O'Toole in that it would be an awful waste of time and resources if committee work were carried out for five years to consider the Nyberg report. We should take it as given; it is a very good report. We all indulged ourselves in the five or seven years of the Celtic tiger and we should now move on and learn from that.