Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for that because that is not always the case in his Department. Between the Minister and the Secretary General, there has been much toing and froing in the past. Having been a Minister of State in that Department, all I can say is that if one is delegated responsibility, one works in conjunction with, consults and shares responsibility with one's Minister. One does not go on a solo run in regard to a particular project.

They seek them here, they seek them there, they seek them everywhere, the elusive primary centres in Boyle and Ballaghaderreen. They are not there. There is no contact, no evidence and no site. Will they ever be built? They will be a poor substitute for an accident and emergency department in Roscommon hospital.

We have often heard the letters of St. James. By God, they are nothing like the letters of James the apostle here when he assured the people of Roscommon that, in accordance with Fine Gael policy on local hospitals, it would retain the emergency, surgical, medical and other services at Roscommon hospital. The alleged, the so-called or the possible centres in Boyle and Ballaghaderreen are no substitute for an active accident and emergency department in Roscommon hospital.

We have a new primary care centre in Roscommon but only one practice and one chemist shop went into it, along with HSE staff.

In Ballaghaderreen nobody has come forward with a site and no site has been identified and no doctor has been contacted.