Michael Mullins (Fine Gael)

I join other speakers in asking for the Minister for Health, Deputy James Reilly, to attend the House for a frank and open exchange with Members on the operation of the HSE. Those of us who have seen the Minister for Health in action are impressed with his openness and frankness. He is the first Minister who will take on the HSE and challenge many of the vested interests.

I would like a discussion on how the HSE west can, on 1 July, consider discontinuing the transport for dialysis and cancer patients. If the HSE management is budgeting properly, surely it cannot have exhausted the budget by 1 July. Like Senator Reilly, I challenge the ludicrous proposal to bring accident and emergency patients from the mid-west hospitals to the University College Hospital in Galway, which is already creaking. There is inadequate space for people to park and the situation is ludicrous and outrageous.

I would like to talk to the Minister about how savings can be made in HSE. A person in the constituency in which I live is occupying an acute bed in a psychiatric hospital. This is at enormous cost and the person cannot be accommodated under the fair deal scheme because she is under 65 years of age. I would like the situation addressed, which will result in an immediate saving to the HSE.

A building in Ballinasloe is unsuitable for its intended purpose. The local management wants to move to another building, leading to the saving of €5,000 per year.