Prayer and standing order exchange
The Chair and Senators Mullen and Andrews continued the procedural argument about prayer and standing orders. The Chair repeatedly clarified that interruptions require the speaking Senator’s consent, and Senator Flaherty then began a separate constituency concern about a GP replacement contract in Longford/Lanesborough.
That one was voted down. The then Senator Bacik's motion did not succeed.
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Will the prayer be got rid of? What is good for the goose is good for the gander.
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If Senator Andrews thinks that is a comparison, he needs to reflect on the issues.
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As the Senator is aware, the Standing Order says that when a Senator is in possession, is speaking and another Senator wishes to make a point, they can ask-----
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If Sinn Féin is becoming anti-religion, I think that will help it at the polls.
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The only time a Senator can be interrupted is when they are actually speaking. Otherwise, they are not actually being interrupted. I point out that it is only an interruption while a Senator is speaking. Under Standing Order 40 Senators can ask to interrupt other Senators. We try to do things politely here. The Senator can ask and if the Senator in possession wants to give way, the Senator in possession can give way. Are we clear on that?
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I am glad I know now what Standing Order 41 is. I will use it with wild abandon from now on. I raise a very important issue here today. Dr. Ali, a popular GP in County Longford who serviced Lanesborough and Longford town, retired recently. The HSE contracted for a replacement and we secured a very good successor. They are operating in Longford town and Lanesborough. It is implicit in the contract they are required to do three half days in Lanesborough. It is a source of great concern for us in Lanesborough that the contract has not been fulfilled in Lanesborough.
A local councillor, Sean Mimnagh, is very strong on this and I know he has made direct contact with the Minister for Health about this. In recent days, we have seen the Minister coming down very strongly on the Rotunda Hospital and the issue of contractual obligations there. If we are talking about contracts and the HSE, if it is good enough for the Rotunda Hospital to be implicitly following the letter of the contract, it is the same for a GP.
We have had a great tradition of GPs in Lanesborough. There is Dr. Colm Farrell who runs a very successful and popular GP practice there. Down through the years, there was Dr. Donohoe and many other eminent GPs who kept us alive, despite our best efforts. It is important for the people and they are concerned this an erosion of the service in Lanesborough. If the GP is only contracted for three half days, the concern there is the service is being eroded and ultimately, it will reach the point where they will lose this second GP. I will be calling on the Leader to reach out to the Minister for Health, as I have done myself and as I know Councillor Mimnagh has done very vociferously. We need the Minister and the HSE to intervene.
If somebody gets a HSE State-funded contract or is being paid by the State, they need to implement that contract to the letter of the law. We need a cast-iron assurance that the GP will operate a three half-day service in Lanesborough. Like the Rotunda, anything else is unacceptable.