Catherine Noone (Fine Gael)

I, too, would welcome the attendance of the Minister for Health in this House and have stated so on a few occasions. I believe the problem is one of communication. I have no doubt that the Minister for Health is doing a good job but he needs to communicate that to us. The Minister took on a basket case in terms of the Health Service Executive. I have previously used the expression "basket case" in respect of the HSE and I mean it. The HSE is useless and has done nothing for us. The Minister for Health needs to communicate to us what he is doing so we can understand what is happening in the health system. Will the Leader invite him to the House for a debate on the direction he is taking with the health services?

I was alarmed this morning by media reports on racism in Ireland. I would not normally raise this matter but statistics published this morning highlighted a large number of non-Irish people in this country live in daily fear of receiving racial insults. We should be ashamed of ourselves. I join with colleagues on the other side in calling for the Minister for Justice and Equality to attend the House to debate this issue. Perhaps one of the new formats for debate in the House could be used for it.

I agree with Senator Mary Ann O'Brien that Ireland needs to be a more caring society. A parent having to fill out so many forms to get a medical card for an epileptic child when they are so exhausted from providing care in the first place is wrong. Our society needs to come up to the mark. Will the appropriate Minister attend the House for a debate on this matter?