Michael Mullins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the decision of the chair of the west-north west hospitals group to resign. I hope the report commissioned with the company with which the chairman was associated will not feed into the review of maternity services. While we all accept the need to review maternity services nationally in light of some of the tragedies that occurred in recent years, in light of the comments made by Senator Colm Burke, I hope the report in question will not form part of the review.

I ask the Leader to request that the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Simon Coveney, come to the House next week to discuss his announcement of a significant investment in the fishing industry.

Almost €150 million is being granted under the Common Fisheries Policy, which is double what we managed to achieve in the past seven years. It is a very significant day for the Irish fishing industry and everybody associated with it in coastal communities around the country. This development warrants a debate with the Minister in this House.