Ivana Bacik (Independent) | Oireachtas source

With regard to the other health-related issue the Senator raised, I have no difficulty asking the Leader to arrange for the Minister for Health to come to the House for a debate on health services. The Government is engaged in a radical programme of reform of health care. Targets for trolley numbers have been significantly reduced and waiting time targets for surgery are being met. Significant progress has been made. The programme for Government contains an ambitious plan to introduce a system of universal health insurance to meet the needs of people, something about which many of us are passionate in the Labour Party and Fine Gael. We have had a policy on this for many years to ensure we do away at last with the dreadful two-tier system in the health service. This is the overall reform that the Minister and the Government is intent on and that we should all support.

On the issue of the upgrading of the two hospitals in Kilkenny and Wexford to which the Deputy referred, I will supply the Senator with a copy of the briefing I received, which sets out the factual position. Members have been bandying words such as "corruption" around carelessly in the Chamber. We need to be cautious about this. Both hospitals were included in the capital plan for 2010 to 2015, which predates the Government. Both projects were at design stage and significant work had been carried out in the context of planning and design. As Senator Michael D'Arcy helpfully pointed out, the accident and emergency department in Wexford hospital was in poor condition while the Kilkenny unit was housed in a portakabin and, therefore, there was no doubt about the need for upgrades. The proposed extension to Wexford hospital featured in the HSE regional service plan for 2011 and preceding years. Planning permission for the project was lodged in 2010 by the HSE and was granted by Wexford Borough Council in 2011. Design and planning work had commenced as far back as 2009. The upgrading of St. Luke's Hospital, Kilkenny, was included in the overall capital plan. There was no doubt about the needs being met. I can invite the Minister for Health to the House to address this issue in the context of a debate on the reform of the health care system generally. The grouping of hospitals is designed to ensure hospitals will develop to their full potential in order that patients receive expert treatment using the concept of centres of excellence coupled with the concept of treating patients as close to home as possible at the lowest level of complexity. We should all support that reform principle.

Senator Coghlan raised the RGDATA report and the survey about the health of the retail industry. This is an important topic and I agree we should have a debate on this.

I congratulate Senator Zappone on her appointment to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. I am glad she will represent us there along with other colleagues. She raised the interesting and important issue of the impact on development countries of low corporate tax rates in the developed world. The Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Joe Costello, will be keen to address this. He previously accepted an invitation to come to the House for a debate on Irish Aid and overseas development aid, hopefully, before the end of February. The Senator should raise the issue during that debate.

Senator Barrett welcomed the Private Members' debate on the fluoridation motion. We considered it important, despite that fact that the House will adjourn for most of the day as a mark of respect to the late Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe and to enable colleagues to attend the funeral, to proceed with Private Members' business and it has been scheduled accordingly. The Senator also raised the reform of the Garda compensation scheme and the Garda compensation (amendment) Bill. He said the Bill should be expedited. That is a good idea and I will pass his request on to the Minister for Justice and Equality. Given what has happened, everyone would approve of that.

Senator Landy raised the issue of the find of gold coins in Carrick-on-Suir and the event in the National Museum later. I will write to the Minister for the Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht about the return of the coins to the county museum in Clonmel, although I acknowledge the Senator will do so as well. I wonder whether it would be worth asking the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport about this when he comes to the House tomorrow for statements on The Gathering because it is another way to encourage visitors, for example, to go to Clonmel. I was not aware there was a county museum and that it had the first Olympic gold medals won by an Irish athlete. This also comes within the remit of the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport.

Senator O'Sullivan called for a review of the horse racing industry. He could raise this with the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport tomorrow. Members will have an opportunity to ask questions. While the debate is about The Gathering, people come to Ireland to attend horse racing meetings and this comes within his brief.

Senator Keane paid tribute to the late Detective Garda Donohoe and expressed sympathy to Senator Henry. She raised the issue of the PSNI and Garda arrangements. She has tabled this matter on the Adjournment but the House could also have a wider debate on it.

Senator Cullinane called for a debate on poverty, which he has called for previously. I will ask the Leader about that.

Senator Mulcahy raised the Law Reform Commission report on missing persons. The Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality engaged with the LRC and produced an earlier report on missing persons. There had been a good deal of liaison between us and the commission. A number of groups appeared before the committee but we may look to the debate the report in the House.

Senator Ó Clochartaigh also raised the health issues and I have replied on them. He referred to concerns about the new hospital trusts amounting to privatisation by stealth. I utterly refute that. There is no question of that.