Micheál Martin

This is outrageous behaviour by you, now.

Deputy O'Callaghan is entitled to an answer. It is not the Sinn Féin Deputies' question.

You have been doing this since this Dáil began, and I ask you to stop because it is too serious. I have no interest in hiding anything - none.

Why would I? For God's sake, reflect on what you are trying to assert. I am as serious about it as anybody is. It is horrendous if anything wrong was done but we need to find out the full facts. That is what we want to do in terms of the parents and children involved. That is it.

The Minister asked CHI to please tell her how many letters are out there, but the context of the letters is as important as the number. The final point I would make is my understanding is that the audit will be ready - fairly imminently, I hope. I do not govern that.

I cannot force the pace in respect of that.

We need to tease that out. What are we saying about the letters that have been sent out? Yesterday a word was used, namely "recall". Once a number is announced, people will draw all sorts of conclusions from that number. My understanding is the letter has gone out to children who have been operated on, potentially as far back as 2010, or to parents in respect of a child. The important point is to …

First of all, I thank the Deputy, and I do not say it patronisingly, for very eloquently presenting the case and the comparison with our own national trauma during the 19th century in terms of the Great Famine and a deliberate policy now being perpetrated by the Israeli Government in respect of denying the basic necessities of life to the people of Gaza. It is quite shocking that Israel would, in …

I take the Deputy’s point, although I do believe we need key powers to intervene. We need key powers, such as the US and major European Union-----

Hear me out, please. Major European Union countries-----

We have done it. Ireland on its own is not going to shift the dial on this.

I just want to make the point. I have noticed a shift in European opinion on this. The bigger powers, quite frankly, have to intervene here because of what is happening morally, and we will, too, but-----

-----the realpolitik of this is very clear to me. The big powers-----

I appreciate we are all-----

I am just stating the facts. It is very clear to me that the major powers have to intervene to get Israel to change course and stop doing what it is doing.

I thank Deputy Brabazon for raising the issue. I take the essence of his point on local Garda stations having the capacity to respond to calls but this would not be uniform throughout the country. There are times when Garda stations are open and not open, particularly in the middle of the night, and this could create limitations. As Deputy Brabazon knows, between 2019 and 2020 it was discovered t…

I will do that and I will come back to Deputy Brabazon because there is an issue in terms of how we best utilise local facilities and local resources in response to issues that could be dealt with in a quicker and more accelerated way rather than burdening the central system.

I have seen a copy of a generic letter, which does not mention the word "recall".

CHI has commissioned the audit. I will say it one more time. I am not endeavouring in any way to cast aspersions on anyone raising questions here. However, aspersions are being laid at the door of the Government.

Attempts have been made and the words "ducking", "dodging" and "diving" were used yesterday by the Deputy.

That is a false assertion by the Deputy. The Government wants the facts and I want the facts. Deputy McDonald has no-----

When the audit is complete. I know what Deputy McDonald is at. Unfortunately, it is quite-----

He is shouting again. Mr. Angry is at it again. I am simply saying-----

Stop the theatrics; it is too serious.

Angry theatrics are par for the course from you and it is wrong to do it.