A final question from Deputy Connolly. This matter may not be debated here today.

It is a shame that a 232-bed county hospital, the second largest in the country and the finest building in the country, should be turned into a community hospital, better known in plain language as a home for the aged. The people of Offaly feel that this is disgraceful treatment to receive from the Government because it was the Government of the day that made the final decision on it——

This is a speech and speeches are out of order.

To be fair to him, the Minister said in his reply that it was a proposal that came to him from the Midland Health Board but he, on behalf of the Government, approved of it.

With all due respect to Deputy Connolly, I have endeavoured to produce a hospital plan although I know that plan would not be universally accepted when one has regard to affiliations to counties or a particular town. When I took over in the Department of Health there was no evidence of any plan for hospitalisation and it was generally agreed by the profession, public representatives and the general public that the days of the single-handed hospital were numbered. I do not think it would be unfair to refer to the FitzGerald Report which contained provisions for the designation of 16 acute hospitals. I disagreed with that report, as did my party when in Opposition. With the Comhairle and in consultation with the Department, I laid down certain guidelines which were acceptable to the health boards and county health advisory committees. The Fianna Fáil Party, who were then in Government, had the FitzGerald Report in 1968 and three years within which to make a decision on it. They did not make any decision on it, meaning that they were prepared to dump the idea of any hospital plan in case any town or county would be dissatisfied.

The people of Tullamore and County Offaly are not the only ones who are dissatisfied. It is inevitable that somebody will be hurt in the establishment of a hospital plan, but I do not think anybody would want us to continue ad infinitum with the present county hospitals we have, bearing in mind always the excellent service they have given under bad conditions. I suggest to the Deputy that his party are not blameless in this matter. They had five years to make up their minds and did not do so.

Arising from the Minister's speech on this matter I should like to state that the guidelines were changed by him to suit himself and his county; not to suit anybody else.

Order. I am calling the next question. Is the Deputy deliberately setting out to be disorderly?

I am endeavouring to make a speech on this also. We have been downgraded and that happened after the Minister changed the guidelines to suit himself and Fine Gael. I have no doubt that Labour Party supporters in my constituency are disgusted with the Minister.

The Deputy should desist; he is being disorderly. I have called the next question.

It was suggested in the FitzGerald Report that a major hospital be established for the region but under the Midland Health Board we are getting two mini-hospitals and we all know that mini is short in something or other.

If the Deputy does not desist I will suspend Question Time for today.

I have a right to reply to a ministerial speech.

The Deputy has no such right.

I have a right to ask questions on this matter which is very important as far as the people of Offaly are concerned.

If the Deputy persists I will suspend the sitting.

Having regard to the constant disorder by the Deputy in question I hereby suspend the sitting for Question Time today.

Business suspended at 3.05 p.m., and resumed at 3.30 p.m.