Colm Burke (Fine Gael)

I am not calling for a debate but asking for the matter to be dealt with in order that proper records will be sent from hospitals to the central unit which records the numbers of procedures carried out. The information crediting consultants with operations is inaccurate, which raises serious questions about who is recording the figures. Records are kept very well in theatres but in-between the number of procedures seems to be incorrectly recorded.

People are sometimes critical of the medical professional. I spoke to someone at 9.15 a.m who had been in the operating theatre for six hours last night. In an adjoining theatre an organ harvesting procedure was completed at 12.30 a.m and the team flew back to Dublin to undertake appropriate transplants. Its members worked into the early hours of the morning. This shows the dedication and commitment of those involved in the medical profession and that we do not give them credit. We can be over-critical in how we approach some debates. I ask people to bear this in mind. The team in question worked very hard for many hours to ensure the quality of life of a number of patients would be utterly changed. I congratulate everyone involved in the medical profession. I ask the Leader to take into account the issue of records and how they are conveyed to a central unit.