I am sure the Taoiseach will agree that in health and infrastructure terms, the top priority for the Oireachtas must be meeting the needs of sick children and the provision of world class facilities for them. It is six months since An Bord Pleanála refused planning permission for the proposed national children's hospital. At the time an independent assessment, subsequently known as the Dolphin report, was requested by the Minister who informed us it would take one month to complete. When the Minister received the report on 8 June, he stated a decision would be taken within weeks. This was followed by a statement in July that the decision would be taken in October. Today, in a remarkable story, we learned about a further report for the Tánaiste who is conducting his own independent research into the preferred location of the new national children's hospital. Labour Party officials are openly stating they are meeting the various bidders and essentially producing their own report and assessment on the issue. I put it to the Taoiseach that the behaviour of the Labour Party, in particular the Tánaiste, serves to isolate even further and undermine the role and position of the Minister for Health, Deputy Reilly, in the Cabinet. The Tánaiste and his advisers and officials appear to be indicating that they do not trust the Minister to take the correct decision. Was the Taoiseach aware that the Tánaiste was pursuing this independent track in respect of the national children's hospital? Has the Government or any Minister commissioned an independent person to make a separate assessment of the sites contained and covered in the Dolphin report?

I thought the Deputy would raise another question today. I did not see him racing out of the traps as he did at the weekend.

Did the Taoiseach get to attend the county final?

I do not deal in anonymous reports. I have said clearly there is but one process in regard to the national children's hospital. The Government has set out, as part of its programme, that one of the major priorities is to build a national children's hospital for all the children of Ireland in the best way possible with credibility. The Dolphin report, which was commissioned by the Minister for Health, is in the hands of the Minister, who has been considering it for some time. Inevitably, questions arise from elements of that. The process is that the Minister will brief the Tánaiste and me on his findings, and thereafter he will bring his recommendation to the Government. The Government, when making its decision, will be absolutely cognisant of doing the best thing for the children of the country. That is the process, and anything the Deputy hears outside that is speculation.

I asked the Taoiseach two questions which he did not answer. First, was he aware that the Tánaiste was pursuing an independent track and that his officials and advisers had been meeting with the various bidders and getting their opinions? Was the Taoiseach aware that the Tánaiste was pursuing that independent approach on the location of the national children's hospital? Second - this could be a yes-or-no answer - has the Government asked any other individual person separate from the Dolphin process to assess the sites concerned, or has any Minister in the Cabinet asked an independent person to assess the sites? A simple "Yes" or "No" would be appreciated.

The bottom line is that we have had a great deal of speculation, all of it emanating from the Government side. It is no longer good enough for the Taoiseach to stand up here and say that he does not deal in anonymous sources, because the source is not anonymous. This morning's report is not anonymous. It is as clear as blue water where it is coming from; it came from the Labour Party side this morning, and they are in quotation marks. It is an open secret that the Minister approached Beaumont Hospital to make a submission on the Belcamp site. Other Ministers have been openly promoting the Blanchardstown site. We all agree in the House that the issue is of paramount importance. What is important - I want the Taoiseach to assure the House on this - is that party political considerations will not dictate the outcome here-----

Unlike the last time.

-----but, rather, that the best interests of the nation's children will be paramount in any decision.

Does the Deputy remember Bertie?

The Minister, Deputy Reilly, approved of that-----

Deputy Martin is disappointed that the shallow opportunism-----

Does the Minister remember Seán Garland?

Does he remember the Workers' Party?

-----he displayed over the weekend was not justified. This is a Government project and therefore a Government decision. The Government commissioned Mr. Dolphin to do his report, and Mr. Dolphin has provided his report to the Minister. The Minister has examined that report-----

Has anybody else been commissioned?

-----and is in a position now to give his findings to me and to the Tánaiste. He will then make his recommendation to the Government and the Government will make its decision. I can confirm for Deputy Martin that, as this is a Government project, the Government has not commissioned another independent report in this matter. The Deputy can take it also that the Government, in its decision, will make the best attempt it can at doing the right thing in respect of the children of the country who will have use of this hospital. As he is aware, the Government put in place a process to fund this. I recall the politics that surrounded the statement by a predecessor of mine who said the children's hospital would be in a particular place. There was far too much politics involved in all of this.

There was no evidence to sustain that. The Taoiseach should not tell untruths. The Minister endorsed that subsequently. It is not good enough.

The process here is very clear. This is a Government project.

Who is doing all the shouting? Will you quiet down, please? Thank you.

It is a Government decision. It is part of the programme for Government and when the Minister makes his recommendation, the Government will make a decision in the best interests of all the children of the country. I expect that to happen-----

Will it be all the Labour Party children?

-----in the next two to three weeks. Many questions have been asked about individual issues. That is the process. It is a Government decision, a Government process. The Minister will make his recommendations and the Government will make its decision.

Will it be the children of the backbenchers in the Labour Party?