Ten days ago this House united in the common objective of pleading with the captors of Margaret Hassan for her early release to the safety, comfort and love of her family. I thank the Taoiseach for his courtesy in briefing me that another video about this matter has been produced and given to the Al-Jazeera television station. Margaret Hassan is not sitting in silence in her cell. I understand this video is quite disturbing and shows Mrs. Hassan being subjected to severe physical and psychological pressure. She is shown to suffer severe emotional and physical distress. We have all heard of the work of Mrs. Hassan, an Irishwoman by birth and Iraqi by marriage and adoption. Her work has been described as goodness itself. That goodness apparently means nothing to her captors. They appear to be intent on exploiting her work to maximise publicity for their cause. I take this opportunity again to reiterate to the Taoiseach, on behalf of those on this side of the House and, I am sure, other speakers, as representatives of the Irish people, the affection and concern we share for Mrs. Margaret Hassan. While I understand Margaret Hassan's captors use the Koran as part of their defence, in the Christian world this is All Souls Day and this is her hour of need. Perhaps the Taoiseach will give an update on the contacts, official or unofficial, the Government has had with authorities and organisations in Iraq to help bring about her release as an Irish and an Iraqi citizen.

I had an opportunity during the day of briefing both Deputy Kenny and Deputy Rabbitte in the limited time available. Around lunch time yesterday, the family of Margaret Hassan were made aware that there was a further video from Margaret's captors and that it was in the hands of Al-Jazeera. As Deputy Kenny said, it was a distressing video and it was decided by the station, on humanitarian grounds, not to show it but it made it available early this morning, with the text of what was on the video. I have not seen the video but I have seen the text, and a report of the text has been outlined to me as well. A number of dangerous and serious things, and timescales, have been stated in that.

I thank the House for reiterating again what we said here just short of two weeks ago — it is two weeks ago today that Margaret was taken. I had a meeting today with her family — her sister from Kenmare, her brother from Cork and her two sisters who are based in the London area — and at their request and in their presence I made a direct appeal to the people holding Margaret to release her and allow her return to her husband, Tahseen. I thank RTE for going to considerable effort to make sure that appeal was communicated to Al-Jazeera for circulation and presentation. I hope the words of this House can be conveyed as quickly as possible.

The appeal, and our efforts here, is to the international media but mainly to the key Arab media organisations. That is what the family requested us to do. They stressed her devotion to the Iraqi people and to the humanitarian work she has done on their behalf over many years. Obviously, this is a very difficult time for her family and I assure them that the Government and the Opposition parties, who had a special debate here, will do all they can on Margaret's behalf.

In reply to Deputy Kenny, the family is particularly concerned. This is an Iraqi family. Margaret's husband is Iraqi born but he holds an Irish passport. She is a citizen of Ireland and her family are Irish. The family want to ensure that people in the Arab world understand that they are Irish and Iraqi. They made that clear in their statement. They pleaded that their sister would not be hurt. She spent her life working in Iraq, not for any political organisation or pushing any political views. All she has done is help the poor and the homeless in her adopted city, the city of her husband. I join everybody in the House in making this appeal and I appeal directly to those holding Margaret to release her and allow her return to her husband and family, and her brothers and sisters, who are extremely concerned about the latest position.

The House should again respond to the pleadings of Margaret Hassan's family on this day of world political importance. It is opportune to focus on her Irishness and her Iraqiness. It should be remembered that Irish organisations played a major part over many years in working in hospitals in Iraq and helping the Iraqi people. Margaret Hassan's work during her adult life has been totally dedicated to the benefit of Iraqi men, women and children, and the Taoiseach should use his efforts to ensure that the words of the representatives of all the people of Ireland expressed in this House today are broadcast, if possible, on the Al-Jazeera television station in a desperate effort to bring some sanity to this situation. Time is of the essence, but time may be short and in that sense I support fully the efforts being made by the Government to bring about Margaret Hassan's return to the safety and love of her family as soon as possible.

I appreciate the support of Deputy Kenny. I appreciate also the support of Deputy Rabbitte and, I am sure, that of every Member of the House. I did not have time to consult everybody, I would have done that if it were possible. Margaret Hassan has done humanitarian work and we will make an effort to have the views of this House conveyed — I think we can do that — to the Arab network. I thank those in Jordan and Egypt who have been very helpful to us, and the Palestinian Foreign Minister who has made a direct appeal. Over recent days efforts were made through the humanitarian aid organisation on the ground. We did not want to interfere with those efforts but today we make a direct appeal to her captors in response to the entire family asking us to make this effort in Dáil Éireann. We do that and will continue to make every effort we can to assist Margaret.

The Irish Parliament is united in this plea for the early release of Margaret Hassan. She is an Irish citizen who has devoted most of her working life to humanitarian work for the weakest and most vulnerable people in Iraq. I speak as the leader of an Irish party that has consistently opposed the illegal war in Iraq and expressed solidarity with the Iraqi people in all their suffering over the years. I join the Taoiseach and the Fine Gael leader in asking for a positive response from people in this Parliament who are friends of the Iraqi people to the request that Margaret Hassan be released forthwith.

I raise with the Taoiseach the discovery by the Tánaiste over recent days that there is a problem with people being inappropriately accommodated in acute hospitals who might better be located in step-down facilities. The Tánaiste told us there are 250 such patients on any given day in the Dublin hospitals and that she has decided this is one way to make progress in terms of relieving the pressure on acute hospitals.

We have all known about that for many years. The Tánaiste's predecessor, Deputy Martin, knew all about it when, on 29 July 2002, he announced the provision of 850 additional beds in community nursing units within three years. The Tánaiste now says, in answer to my colleague, Deputy Stagg, that not one of those beds has been provided but that she will examine it in detail very soon. We all know the Minister, Deputy Martin, ran the hospital service on the basis of announcements and reports, and that his presentation was usually extremely slick and clever. Will the Taoiseach explain how two years' after this particular announcement, made on 29 July 2002 to provide 850 additional beds to accommodate what are crudely called bed blockers, not one bed has been provided? Why did the then Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Martin, make the announcement? Why did he go down the road of public private partnerships to alleviate this acute need? What is the reason for the delay?

At the time, it was specified that the community nursing units would be located on public land. The Tánaiste is making announcements that she will sell off this public land, assuming there is anything left after the Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Deputy Parlon, is finished. He would sell Christ Church Cathedral if he thought he would get away with it. Where will the community nursing units be established? When will they be established? How has a project announced with such fanfare by the previous Minister for Health and Children been discovered by his successor not to have provided a single additional bed?