Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fail)

I note Senators opposite are shaking their heads. Perhaps that is not the case but the questions are legitimate. Senator Leyden has pointed out that there is no legislative basis for the Government announcing that a new semi-State entity is to be operated by a company that has a commercial mandate as determined under the Gas Acts, which is a real cause for concern. Members opposite can shake heads all they want. The people are entitled to information. Quite frankly, the information they have received thus far has been abominable in the extreme.

I heard the Minister of State, Deputy O'Dowd, say this morning that there will be a free allocation every year that costs €40, which in itself is confusing. We need the facts to be determined and delivered for people.

I call on the Leader to ask the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, to come to the House as a matter of urgency to discuss the health cutbacks throughout the country and their delivery regionally through the HSE. I am particularly concerned about organisations and facilities that are delivering important services to those with severe to profound intellectual disabilities. Wisdom Services, which are based at Cregg House in County Sligo, deliver services to people of that nature across the entire north west. As a result of the cuts in the institution's funding that have been announced by the HSE in the west, the Daughters of Wisdom have announced that they are not capable of continuing to provide services as outlined in the service agreement. It is worth noting that since 1955, each Government of the day has invited the Daughters of Wisdom to provide these important services on behalf of the State. They have done that exceptionally well. Given that no agreement is in place, the Minister needs to take a personal interest in this case and intervene in it as a matter of urgency. Otherwise this problem will be replicated throughout the country.