I support the views expressed by Senators Thomas Byrne and Marc MacSharry on the issues associated with the new report, The Establishment of Hospital Groups as a transition to Independent Hospital Trusts. Roscommon is mentioned twice. On page 27 it is stated there is a plan to locate a rehabilitation centre at Roscommon County Hospital as part of the national clinical programme for rehabilitation. On page 89 the very same is stated. The report does not mind repeating itself. Rehabilitation is actually carried out at the Sacred Heart Hospital in Roscommon. What is occurring is a further downgrading of Roscommon County Hospital. Promises were made by the Taoiseach in Roscommon town, as a result of which Fine Gael got two seats in Roscommon-South Leitrim. The promise was broken. One could not trust anything said by the Minister for Health, Deputy James Reilly, from whom one would not buy a second-hand car. The poor man does not know the truth from reality.

Does the Senator have a question for the Leader?

I have many questions for the Minister. We know he broke the promise. He wrote to the people of Roscommon-----

As the Minister is not here to answer those questions-----

I wish he were here more often. It is said there can be no further downgrading. Our Lady's Hospital in Navan will lose its accident and emergency unit. Louth County Hospital, Dundalk, St. Columcille's Hospital in Loughlinstown, the hospitals in Mallow, Bantry, Nenagh and Ennis, St. John's Hospital in Limerick and Roscommon County Hospital have all lost their accident and emergency facilities. A hospital without an accident and emergency unit is a shop without a front. It is the beginning of the end for a hospital.

Nonsense.

We can see the reality in Roscommon. A Member of the Oireachtas had to resign from Fine Gael because he felt it was not nonsense. The point is that HIQA will be used as a front line to downgrade other hospitals. The report is of no consequence to the people of Roscommon. It is but a further death knell. Professor Higgins certainly has not done smaller hospital any favour. The Government has betrayed every commitment it made prior to the general election. Every promise it made has been broken and they continue to be broken in a dictatorial manner.

The Senator's point is made.

Rubbish.

The Senator should not be crowing so much about Waterford because Waterford hospital has lost its status on foot of the linking with Wexford and Kilkenny. I would not be that proud of the achievement in Waterford.