It would be good to have a debate on the hospital reconfiguration plan, which has received a broad welcome, although we do not think it should be today. I add my welcome to it. It is an ambitious plan with a clear objective of delivering high quality and safe patient care and maximising good outcomes for patients. The concept of centres of excellence has, by now, been accepted by everyone-----

The parties on that side were slow learners.

------and that people need to see hospital reconfiguration.

The parties on that side objected to, and opposed, the cancer services------

To be fair, that was-----

Senator Byrne should allow Senator Bacik to speak.

If Senator Byrne will allow me finish, I was trying to be fair, as I always am, by saying it was a concept initiated by the previous Government. It is not a concept that belongs to this Government. It is now established and understood in the health services that it is the best way to deliver good outcomes for patients.

It is now understood. It took the parties in government a while to learn.

I also call for a debate on the terms of oil and gas exploration. We should welcome the announcement by the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Rabbitte, to review the fiscal terms on oil and gas production and he is seeking expert advice on the best way to ensure maximum fiscal gain for Ireland. It is in line with the Labour Party manifesto commitment to initiate a wide review of the tax regime for oil and gas exploration. It is an area around which there is the major concern about the terms on which oil and gas exploration companies have been able to conduct drilling and investigations. It is good to see a review of it. It would be good for the House to debate the terms on which oil and gas production should take place. I ask the Leader for a debate before the summer recess.

I welcome the announcement by Dublin City Council that the dublinbikes scheme will be expanded to Kilmainham and Inchicore, on one side, and to the North Wall quay on the other side. The dublinbikes scheme has been an enormous success in terms of increasing the number of people cycling in the city. It is good to see that there will be 950 additional bicycles in this major expansion, which will be completed by July 2014. It will create extra jobs but it is also a major asset to our capital city. I welcome the expansion.