Seanad debates

Wednesday, 15 June 2016

10:30 am

Photo of Rose Conway WalshRose Conway Walsh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

On behalf of Sinn Féin, I extend our sympathies to the community in Orlando, particularly the LGBT community, and to the police officer and his partner in Paris who were shot dead. I commend the Yes Equality and LGBT groups throughout the country and in Mayo for the vigils they are organising in solidarity and support for the community in Orlando.

I will refer briefly to Seanad reform. Our team in the Seanad is adamant that the recommendations that have been made must be implemented and that the necessary reform must be carried through. We have a motion, which will be submitted tomorrow, on the establishment of a sub-committee to examine properly how this can be done, but we will also be supportive of other Bills which reflect our commitment to the reform that is necessary in this House.

The Minister for Health should be invited to the Seanad to address the emergency situation whereby 26,000 operations and procedures have been cancelled in hospitals. This is due to beds having been taken out of the system from the 1980s to the present. This allows medical teams who are paid huge amounts of money to stand by and do nothing because they do not have beds in which they can treat patients. Those who have taken the beds out of the system must be held accountable for the 26,000 people who have not been able to have their procedures performed.

In addition, could the Minister with responsibility for heritage be invited to the House to explain the bizarre situation whereby the Government is appealing the decision relating to Moore Street and to outline the rationale for that?

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