I congratulate the Minister for Health, Deputy James Reilly. Perhaps he might be here later, but I congratulate him in advance of his appearance. He was formally recognised this week by the World Health Organization for his work on tobacco control. The WHO identified him as a key international figure in the fight against the harm caused by tobacco, as part of its annual World No Tobacco Day initiative.

The threatened strike at Aer Lingus this weekend will be very disruptive for tourists and those looking forward to taking a break this weekend. It would be better for everyone if the strike were called off. I welcome the fact that IMPACT has accepted an invitation from the company to return to talks. This is the third threat of strike action since the start of this year, which is damaging the company. The dispute is about rosters. The unions are looking for an improvement in terms and conditions, rightly so. However, there are two sides to this story and the way to address it is through bilateral talks or talks at the Labour Relations Commission which is charged with arbitrating on issues like this. I join the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Leo Varadkar, in encouraging both sides to talk with the LRC before any strike takes place.

I agree with Senator Terry Brennan that there has been a lot of muscle-flexing by unions with regard to strikes. It is a pity that the very precarious position of the economy and the slim chance of recovery is being put at risk because of people trying to extract more from what is not there. Trade unions should be thinking about the people who are unemployed. Without the job creation that is essential, those people's lives will not be restored to what they were in the past. I would like to think that the unions will act more responsibly than they are speaking.

I agree with the point made by Senator Pat O'Neill. I also met people at polling stations who had been on the electoral register all of their lives who turned up to vote but found that their names had been removed from the register. There must be a better way of maintaining the electoral register. In the context of the enormous percentage of people who do not even bother to vote, it is a real pity that those who make the effort are deprived of the opportunity to cast their vote. In many cases, such persons are known to the presiding officers. If there are errors in the register, we must find a way to ensure that they can be rectified on polling day, if necessary.

I support the calls by my colleagues for the Minister for Health to come to the House to provide clarification. The Minister commented yesterday to the effect that there had been no reports recommending the closure or reconfiguration of maternity hospitals, but we have seen the report which refers to reconfiguring maternity services and the option of closing maternity units in Portiuncula Hospital and in the relevant hospitals in counties Mayo and Sligo. We know that no decision has been made but the Minister said, in regard to the reports, that they were "unsubstantiated" and "politically motivated".

We are not discussing yesterday's business today.