Away from politics, I had reason to take my car for a national car test, NCT, last week. I was also in the accident and emergency department of University Hospital Limerick. More is known about my car's service history and performance, which is transferable to the next owner, than is known about the patients in the accident and emergency department at the hospital. Information is not transferable. There is no integrated information system to comprise a GP's notes, a referral and a stay in a different hospital network. What is the Government going to do to ensure an integrated system? We talk about hospital structures, trolleys and beds but unless there is information sharing, where are we going?

In advance of raising this issue, I spoke to a number of doctors. They tell me that when someone in an accident and emergency department is being triaged, time is wasted trying to verify the patients' dates of birth and previous history. Has a patient diabetes or heart disease? All of that information should be on a screen in front of the staff of accident and emergency departments.

There is more known about my car than about the patient. What is going to happen on the creation of a fully-integrated information system in healthcare?

I happen to agree with Deputy Cathal Crowe. It is a very fair point. We need integrated information systems in our health service. The HSE is working on that very piece but it is about how we can share information between our GP and the local hospitals as well. Much of it is paper-based and the systems do not speak to each other, where there are systems. It is something that is being worked on by the HSE. I do not know how far down the road we are in that space but it is obviously crucial the technology keeps up with the patient, that we have integrated systems where patients records can be kept and where they can be transferred and accessed by health professionals. I will bring the matter the Deputy has raised directly to the attention of the Minister for Health.