Colm Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I apologise for being late; I was at a meeting of the Joint Committee on Health.

I refer to the serious fire at premises in Cork, which was also raised by my colleague, Senator Lombard. It is extremely important that the issue is dealt with. It is a substantial building on a large site. It is owned by a State authority and has been lying idle for 15 years. We now need the Minister to get the HSE to outline all the vacant premises it has which are excess to its requirements. It is outrageous that a building like this has been allowed to be burned down instead of being used in some way over the past 15 years. I ask the Acting Leader to get the Minister to come to the House to tell us how many other State agencies under his control - whether HSE or otherwise - have vacant properties being left idle when we could use them to provide services for the community.