Darragh O'Brien (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is a good day for the Seanad that Commissioner Hogan will address it. I welcome this opportunity for Senators to raise issues.

I call on the Leader to raise a matter with the Minister for Health, Deputy Varadkar, regarding his non-attendance here last week. He said he was not advised on time about a Commencement debate. This was untrue because his Department was advised of the matter on Tuesday. I have written to him to seek clarification on the issue. He effectively blamed the Seanad for his not being here to take a debate on Beaumont Hospital. This is not true as the Department got nearly 48 hours notice for him to attend. I am going to pursue this. I am aware the Leader mentioned he would also pursue the matter and I ask him to keep it on his agenda.

Keeping that in mind, it might be useful for the Minister to know when we are having a specific debate on health. We have had a number of such debates because the health system in Ireland is in crisis. I want to raise a specific issue now. Members may not be aware that we have no pancreatic transfer surgeon in this country. Beaumont Hospital has had a vacancy, which has remained unfilled, for a transplant surgeon specialising in pancreatic transplants-----