John Kelly (Labour)

Just to let Members know, last Friday evening I attended a meeting in the Department of Health with many other Oireachtas Members. The one issue on the table was the reduction in hours at the accident and emergency unit at Roscommon hospital, from 24-7 to 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and closed at weekends. Although the Minister, Deputy James Reilly, said that if he was able to recruit junior doctors he would put them in place, the Health Information and Quality Authority, HIQA, rejected the idea and said it would still be an unsafe place in which to practise. During our discussions with the Department's officials and HIQA, Deputy Luke 'Ming' Flanagan, who arrived late, got into a rant in regard to the running of the health service and suggested to a senior official in the Department that he should-----