Catherine Ardagh (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

There are three items I wish to raise today. I raised the first of these last week, the prospective sale by Permanent TSB of €4 billion of a non-performing loan book to unregulated vulture funds. I put on record my objection to this prospective sale. I note the Taoiseach's comments during Leaders' Questions in the Dáil, when he intimated the sale may not be to vulture funds but rather another national bank. I would like to hear more about that and I would welcome an elaboration by the Taoiseach. However, I urge the Government to take on board and enact the Fianna Fáil Bill relating to vulture funds, which would ensure all banks acting within the State are bound by Central Bank regulatory standards. We cannot have a position where one family's mortgage is governed by one set of rules while the mortgage of the family next door is not.These are not merely figures on a balance sheet. Families, small businesses and farmers will be affected by the sale. At present, the Central Bank cannot govern unregulated banks. Therefore, consumers who have loans that have been categorised as non-performing are in a very vulnerable position. The Minister knew there would be an outcry and that is why he flagged this matter to the Cabinet last week. I call on him today to use his powers as a shareholder to object to the sale during his powers of consultation.

The second item I wish to raise today is the supervised drug injection centre on Merchant's Quay. Last week, I learned that the centre will be opened in Dublin. It is one of the first such centres in the country and is located in the heart of the constituency of the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Catherine Byrne. I call on her to come in here and tell us what assurances have been given to the local community to ensure that the centre does not become a hub of anti-social behaviour and does not have an adverse influence on the residential hinterland. Dublin South Central, and in particular the south inner city, seems to be a dumping ground for such services. Would the centre be opened without objection or concern in the leafy suburbs of Ballsbridge? We all know that the answer is no. Communities and schools located close to the centre are concerned about health and safety. I ask the Leader to arrange a debate on the matter in this House, without delay. I ask the Minister of State to update the House in a few months on how the facility is being managed, maintained and operated.

The third item I wish to raise is cancer care. I have raised the issue on previous occasions and I shall do so again today. We have an excellent record in cancer care and we are on our third national cancer strategy, which is something we should be very proud of. However, I am truly disappointed to learn about the cases of misdiagnosis at St. James's Hospital, which is my local hospital. As we know, this matter will be highlighted in tonight's episode of "RTÉ Investigates". My heart goes out to the patients who are dealing with the consequences of misdiagnosis. I have first-hand experience of the top-class service given in St. James's Hospital as my father was a patient for 15 years. I cannot fault the professional care that he received. It is awful to learn that the care given at the hospital has deteriorated. As I have previously mentioned, patients at the hospital who were in remission did not receive quarterly scans. As a result, they did not get the quick diagnosis and treatment that they deserved. I have also raised the issue of the increased waiting times for people who have received a diagnosis of cancer but have been unable to start chemotherapy treatments in a timely fashion. These delays, the delays in commencing treatment and the delayed scans have caused a great amount of fear and upset for patients and their supportive families. I call on the Minister for Health to attend the House today to show us how he has prioritised and committed to ensure that the cancer strategy is implemented properly nationwide. I urge him to give us a detailed report about what he knows about the cases of misdiagnosis at St. James's Hospital.