Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The points made by Senators Leyden, Hopkins and Gallagher are very serious. The issue of respite care and of providing care for people is one we should take seriously.To be of assistance to Senator Leyden, I suggest the Senators table a Commencement matter on the issue for next Tuesday depending on the outcome of their meeting tomorrow.

Senator Craughwell raised the issue of the Lisa Smith case and an article published in the Sunday World. As the Senator will be aware, and the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade made reference to this in a statement subsequent to the RTÉ and TV3 coverage and the newspaper report, he was of the view that a resolution to the matter was nowhere near. The Government does not comment on individual cases and it has not done so, as the Senator will well know. He is being mischievous around the issue of-----