SEANAD REPORT:THERE WAS a rumour that the board of the HSE had lost confidence in chief executive Prof Brendan Drumm and his senior management team, Liam Twomey (FG) said.

“It is bad enough that Minister Harney seems to have lost touch completely with what is happening in regard to the health services, but there is a concern and a rumour out there that the board of the HSE has lost confidence in the CEO, Professor Drumm and his senior management team and what’s actually happening at the corporate level of the HSE,” he said.

Apparent legal action by Irish Nationwide to sue a debtor for a large amount of money would present a serious challenge to the National Asset Management Agency (Nama) and the whole banking system, Shane Ross (Ind) said. “I cannot see where it is going. There is a real danger of a domino effect because those who owe money to Irish Nationwide, which says it will sue more people, owe vast and bigger sums to other banks. If Irish Nationwide puts them into liquidation or bankrupts other builders, presumably the other banks will have to get on to that story almost immediately.”

There was a danger that the banks would begin to regard the State guarantee as a licence to renew their old power, said Mr Ross.

There was a bare-faced cheek in the reaction of Independent News and Media to the award against them in the Monica Leech libel case, Ronan Mullen (Ind) said. For that company to say that the award, which had come on foot of its egregious behaviour, was another example of the pressing need for a fundamental review of our defamation laws was like someone who had been convicted of a drink-driving offence saying that we needed to ease the penalties for drink driving.

The comment should be acknowledged as being outrageous.

Cathaoirleach Pat Moylan (Fianna Fáil) said no one should comment on a case that was still before the courts.