Brian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fail)

I refer to the baffling news that HSE west is about to write off approximately €6 million because consultants employed within the health service did not take the opportunity to fill in and submit the appropriate paperwork to private insurance firms. This merits a serious investigation and I hope the Committee of Public Accounts will investigate this matter. If €6 million has to be written off in the HSE west area alone, how much will be written off for the entire country? I would like to know. It is disgraceful that this should be allowed to happen when, on the other hand, the HSE, the Minister and the new Government are allowing hospitals to close and facilities to be withdrawn from patients. The Minister is presiding over a Department that has closed X-ray units in two community units in my constituency this week, namely Killybegs Community Hospital and Donegal Community Hospital. Over the summer, the service was reduced from two days to one day per week and it has now been withdrawn, which is wholly unacceptable. The Minister must come to the House and the officials responsible must be brought before the Committee of Public Accounts for questioning and to be held to account. It is not good enough that the taxpayer would be asked to pay for the failings of HSE officials or consultants.

The second issue I wish to raise is the report compiled by the Government on Garda stations. According to the report, 24 stations in County Donegal are earmarked for closure. The Minister for Justice and Equality needs to come to the House to explain the political motivation behind the report and the rationale behind the decision of the Minister and the Government to request superintendents to examine stations within their jurisdictions that could be closed. This is unacceptable, particularly given the increase in crime since the onset of the recession. I hope the Leader will invite the Ministers for Health and Justice and Equality to come to the House as soon as possible to discuss these two emerging issues of national importance.