John Crown (Independent) | Oireachtas source

He has asked me to bring up the issue. I will not be criticising anybody by name. I am supporting Dr. Hanley who pointed out that when he wrote an article in which he bluntly stated that he believed the HSE was terrifying people with the threat of the denial of their medical cards, he received a letter from a member of the communications staff of the HSE accusing him of defaming the HSE and threatening to seek appropriate redress in the absence of a retraction of the article. It is entirely inappropriate that an organ of the State that should be answerable as part of a democracy, not only to these Houses and citizenry but through its journalistic reporters, should be able to threaten a journalist for having a difference of opinion from it. The question must be asked as to why the HSE has a director of communications at the same time as 30, 40 and 50 people are lying on hospital trolleys. Please tell me that this is an inappropriate allocation of resources. I would like to formally propose an amendment to the Order of Business today to ask the Minister for Health to come to the House specifically to discuss the issue of emergency rooms and waiting times.