John Whelan (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach for accepting my Commencement debate. I am grateful to my colleague, Senator Landy, for his support on the matter. It was not an altogether satisfactory reply on the children who suffer from narcolepsy. I support Senator Landy. Will the Leader to ensure the Minister for Health comes to the House at the earliest opportunity to explain why the HSE and the Department of Health are about to drag children through the High Court instead of negotiating a settlement with their families? The State must put in place the supports and compensation they require.It is a lifelong illness we have inflicted on them through a State-sponsored immunisation programme for swine flu. We compounded the error and added insult to injury by refusing to meet their parents. The Minister has so far declined to meet them and the State, as a result, is sleepwalking into a nightmare of protracted legal cases in the High Court in dragging children before the courts in another hepatitis C fiasco. We do this instead of sitting down and facing up to our responsibilities and treating these children and their families fairly.

I support the sentiments expressed by Senator Denis Landy about the Dunnes Stores workers. This is an opportunity to put our money where our mouths are. Last year we all queued to claim we had supported the Dunnes Stores workers when they had taken a stand against apartheid in support of Nelson Mandela. This, in itself, is a form of apartheid practised by Dunnes Stores in trying to turn some workers into second-class workers and citizens by denying them fair rates of pay, fair numbers of hours and fair play. I appeal to everyone to support the workers by at least not crossing the picket line.