Tim Lombard (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I wish to discuss the human tissue Bill. This is legislation that has been talked about for decades. The original report that brought the legislation forward was commissioned by the then Minister for Health, Mary Harney. The legislation has been sought since 2005 or 2006 and there have been false dawns all the way regarding the legislation. I mention in particular the Kelleher family from Cork who have campaigned online for the legislation to be put in place because they experienced a terrible and horrendous situation in which their child's organs were, unfortunately, sent to another country to be disposed of in a very inhumane way. This legislation will guarantee that such carry-on cannot continue. I ask the Deputy Leader to get a timeline from the Minister for Health on when the legislation will be brought forward. It is supposed to be published by the end of the year and we need to have that done.

The other issue I wish to raise is about the driving test centre in Skibbereen, in regard to which the Road Safety Authority has produced figures that prove the waiting list is exceptionally low and this talk of closing the centre is not going to happen. It comes back to this false narrative or false media output by some politicians who will do anything to make a headline or talk down west Cork. This has been a very unfortunate situation. We have seen with Bantry General Hospital over the years and now with the driving test centre where they are playing politics. There has to be a news outlet that makes sure proper information is put out there rather than going on social media with absolute lies, according to what we have heard today. That is something that very much affects how west Cork is going to drive and go forward. We need the Minister for Transport brought before us to clarify the figures and make sure they are appropriate, which they are, because if we continue the way we are going, the false narratives will erode confidence and erode how west Cork and other regions will develop.