I commend the new Minister for Health, Deputy Leo Varadkar, for the manner in which he has approached his remit and brief and being so forthright and forthcoming. I ask him, at the earliest opportunity and possibly in the Seanad, to nip in the bud certain terrible speculation, rumour and gossip that are swirling around in the public domain.

This arises because of the publication of so-called secret and confidential HSE reports. There are rumours the accident and emergency departments in Clonmel, Portlaoise and Naas will be closed. It seems that if somebody had his or her way, there would not be an accident and emergency department between Dublin and Cork.

Welcome to the real world. It is the world of the Government.

Senator John Whelan to continue, without interruption.

Senator John Crown is an expert in the area of health services provision and he points out that one cannot expect to double performance and productivity in hospitals while reducing staffing and resources. Portlaoise hospital was neglected, under-resourced and underfunded for years when it played second fiddle to other facilities because of the interference of a then Minister who has held the health and finance portfolios. Today, we hear of a further so-called "secret" report from the HSE and I ask the Minister for Health to publish such reports so we can have sight of what is being suggested. This would nip in the bud the suggestion that this is any part of Government policy. The idea of downgrading and reducing to office hours the accident and emergency facility in Portlaoise is absurd and unsafe in the extreme. Nevertheless, the speculation around these reports - so-called confidential documents we have not seen - leads to terrible distress and torment for the public, patients and staff at the hospital. It is also unnecessarily undermining public trust and confidence in service delivery at the hospital. It is necessary for the Minister - consistent with form - to issue an unequivocal statement affirming the Government's commitment to the status, service, staffing and resourcing of Portlaoise general hospital.

Do not believe Government promises. Look at what it promised in Roscommon and it got rid of the accident and emergency department.

There are better facilities than ever.