Maire Devine (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for her response. Sinn Féin and the signatories to these amendments in no way want to stall the progress of the building of the national children's hospital. I assure everybody that the hospital is being built. Every day I leave my home, often after sleepless nights, I see the work at the end of my street. My house is full of muck and dust. I want the hospital built. I have given a personal reason for wanting it built but we need it built for the children of this country. It is going up speedily. This Bill needs improvement and that is what amendments are for. Amending is what legislators do. We scrutinise Bills and try to improve them, rather than delay.

The Minister of State said what is occurring with the boards and appointments is normal practice. We need to reflect on where normal practice has got us. It has us bogged down with scandals, corruption and delays in provision, affecting people at every level of service delivery in the country.

Senator Colm Burke is missing the point. He is fuzzying the intention of these amendments. I did not specifically say it was a matter of medical practitioners and medical professionals being on this board. I agree with the Senator that a mixture of skills is needed. I am not just protecting the medical profession. I would like the Senator not to fuzzy up the intention of this amendment and to understand it a little better.