Darragh O'Brien (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

On health matters, I advise the House of a very serious issue in Dublin. As of last Tuesday, 15 September, north County Dublin, an area with a population of 350,000, has been without the National Ambulance Service. There has been no coverage whatsoever since 7 o'clock last Tuesday owing to the fact that a new ambulance base in Lissenhall north of Swords which cost €500,000 has not been fitted out. The HSE stated at a meeting today that it might be ready in December. The issue is bad forward planning. The Department has not even requested any of the fittings or equipment required to run an ambulance base. As a result, HSE ambulances based at St. James's Hospital in Dublin city are expected to take calls from as far north as Balbriggan. This is unacceptable and I am writing to the Minister about the matter. I ask the Leader's office to also take it up with the Minister. It is simply unacceptable that nearly 500,000 people in the Dublin region will be served by only one ambulance, provided by Dublin Fire Brigade.

There have been a number of announcements on transport and transport policy within Dublin. I ask the Leader to invite the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Paschal Donohoe, to come to the House at the appropriate time when the final announcements are made for a proper debate on the Government's future transport plans, not just for Dublin but for also the country.

Just before we returned after the recess we saw the publication of the interim report of the Fennelly commission on the retirement or sacking, depending on one's perspective, of the former Garda Commissioner, Mr. Callinan. It is fair to point out that, judging from any of the polls taken, the general public does not believe the Taoiseach's version or his accounts of what happened at the time. None of us does. I doubt anybody could believe his surprise that the former Garda Commissioner had decided to retire. Certainly, the former Secretary General, Mr. Purcell, was sent to give a message to the former Garda Commissioner that he had to step down. However, one person with a unique insight into what happened and the decisions made by the Cabinet, particularly the advice that it and the former Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Alan Shatter, was given, is the the Attorney General, Ms Marie Whelan. She will have a unique and important perspective of what really happened around that time. It is important, therefore, that she answer question about some of the contradictory evidence given and the fact that her evidence had to be changed four times during the course of the commission of investigation. I propose an amendment to the Order of Business, that, under Standing Order 56, the Attorney General be invited to the House to answer questions about her role as the senior legal person in the State and senior adviser to the Government, the Cabinet, the former Minister for Justice and Equality and the Taoiseach. Standing Order 56 clearly states a Minister of the State or the Attorney General may attend and be heard in the Seanad. That Standing Order should be invoked, as it would provide an opportunity for the Attorney General to get her point of view across and answer questions from Members across the House who are very concerned, as is the general public, about the events that occurred around the time of the retirement or resignation of the former Garda Commissioner.This needs to be addressed-----