Mary Ann O'Brien (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am asking about what I would call a "no-brainer", namely, the Public Health (Availability of Defibrillators) Bill 2013, which Senator Quinn brought to the House towards the end of 2013. I bumped into a really superb paramedic last week who told me about a 15 year old girl in a school he had been called to who had collapsed. The teacher put the girl into the recovery position. In fact, her heart had stopped. The little girl is back in school six weeks later and what saved her life is a defibrillator. It is a very easy piece of machinery to use and it is very easy to train people to use it. It is becoming more cost-effective to buy them. Senator Quinn put forward a very simple Bill. He wanted defibrillators in all sorts of places such as hospitals, schools, churches, shopping centres and bus stations. CPR is wonderful but it is not at the races compared with a defibrillator. A defibrillator is an incredibly intelligent machine that can tell exactly what position somebody's heart is in and restart it. It is very easy to use. Could the Leader ask the Minister for Health what they are doing and when they will come back to Senator Quinn and push this Bill through?

I apologise as I know the Cathaoirleach has ruled it out of order but I have to stand up and support Senator Norris's statement on the cut in wages for the ushers. This is not acceptable.