Hospital Services Dail Éireann — 2023-10-17 ============================================================ Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (SF), Donegal I apologise. Whenever the Minister for Health is not available when a Topical Issue comes up, the protocol is that we are to be made aware that the Minister is not available. That has not happened in this case. We cannot proceed. The Minister for Health has not notified us. Catherine Connolly (CC), Galway West Are the Deputies not proceeding? Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (SF), Donegal That is the protocol. It is clearly established. I am the Sinn Féin Whip. The protocol is that we are to be made aware of it. Catherine Connolly (CC), Galway West I understand the protocol but it is just a pity that we did not know. Pearse Doherty (SF), Donegal We did not know. Catherine Connolly (CC), Galway West The Deputies did not know. Pearse Doherty (SF), Donegal Nobody but the Minister for Health----- Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (SF), Donegal The Minister for Health has to be----- Catherine Connolly (CC), Galway West One speaker, please. I am not going against the Deputies. Let us just try to tease this out. Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (SF), Donegal Of course. Catherine Connolly (CC), Galway West The Deputies are withdrawing their Topical Issue. Pearse Doherty (SF), Donegal No, we are deferring it. Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (SF), Donegal We ask that it be deferred to tomorrow when the Minister is available. That is the established protocol. Catherine Connolly (CC), Galway West The Deputies are deferring it. The Ceann Comhairle will be here so he will make the final decision. Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (SF), Donegal In fairness to the Ceann Comhairle, he has made a stand on----- Pearse Doherty (SF), Donegal Can we get a ruling now? Catherine Connolly (CC), Galway West It is all right. I am not disagreeing with the Deputies at all. Pearse Doherty (SF), Donegal I am just looking for a ruling. Jack Chambers (FF), Dublin West I have been asked to respond on behalf of the Minister for Health. It is up to the Deputies. Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (SF), Donegal That is against the protocol that has been established----- Catherine Connolly (CC), Galway West The option is usually given to all Deputies when they table a Topical Issue if they want to withdraw it before then. It is okay. Pearse Doherty (SF), Donegal Can I get clarification from the Leas-Cheann Comhairle as the Chair here today? The issue is that nearly 100 health professionals have written to the Minister - I am not going to go into it. Therefore, it is really important that the Minister himself is present. We have a right to ask for a deferral until he is here. Catherine Connolly (CC), Galway West No one is----- Pearse Doherty (SF), Donegal Is that right being upheld----- Catherine Connolly (CC), Galway West Absolutely. Pearse Doherty (SF), Donegal -----or is it subject to----- Catherine Connolly (CC), Galway West No. Pearse Doherty (SF), Donegal It is being upheld. Catherine Connolly (CC), Galway West That right is being upheld. Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (SF), Donegal I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle. Pearse Doherty (SF), Donegal Will this be deferred until tomorrow? Catherine Connolly (CC), Galway West Whether it goes into tomorrow will be up to the Ceann Comhairle. Pearse Doherty (SF), Donegal If the Minister is available. --- Source: Houses of the Oireachtas. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The Official Report is revised after first publication; the fetch timestamp below identifies the version quoted. Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2023-10-17/debate/main Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:52:17+00:00 Sitting date: 2023-10-17